Sea Salts to Heal
by mystic-angel1
Summary: When the storm is over.....some need time to heal. ((LY,SK,AC))
1. Laughter

"Sea Salt to Heal."  
  
Why hello! Welcome, welcome!  
  
Ehem. Now that I have stopped acting like a hobbit, we can begin.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I don't even own a copy of the game...ehe...I have to steal mine from my cousin. .  
  
I have finally begun to write a KH fic! I've been procrastinating for so long.....but that's just me. This fic is supposed to be gentle, no extreme brain twisting themes. You'll see soon enough. I think it's just going to be a series of one shots. So enjoy!  
  
Couples: Sora/Kairi  
Yuffie/Leon  
Cloud/Aerith  
Shuyin/Lenne  
  
Hints: Tidus/Yuna  
Wakka/Lulu  
  
Maybe: Riku/OC (But I don't know for sure. If there is, it'll be very subtle, only slight hints of it and maybe a little fluff if you guys want some!)  
  
As for the characters who aren't in KH, I'm going to deal them in. People such as Yuna and Lulu are going to be small characters, just slight hints of it.  
  
Now, Shuyin is actually going to be in the story, which is why him and Lenne are a main couple. You'll see what I mean.  
  
The starting is a little angsty, but it gets less intense. Heh. Almost....  
  
Chapter one: In which Squall and Yuffie talk about peace. (And he finds her weak spot.)  
  
Darkness.  
  
That's what everything is in this place. Time does not exist. Emotions do not exist. Everything is made and destroyed and consumed by darkness. It is the place in which darkness was created, where no human was ever supposed to go. But go they did. Thus, darkness soon became as powerful as light, soon became a mind of its own. Children of light were soon turned to children of darkness. It needed these children, for energy, to live. It kept them stored, preserved, close. Each one soon fell into the lethargy the darkness could offer after their destiny as a child of the dark was fulfilled. Peace, sleep, ignorance was offered to them. And most took it. They allowed themselves to become the darkness, allowing it to thrive and grow. Few stood up to what it so generously offered. And even those who opposed were loosing strength.  
  
But to every Chosen One who was taken into darkness instead of their original destiny to be a Child of Light, a new Child of Light was to be created or chosen, thus creating Ying and Yang. One could not exist without the other, as light and darkness were brothers. Every Child of Darkness had a light counterpart; every Child of Light had a dark counterpart. It kept the balance going.  
  
But as more and more Chosen Ones submitted to the darkness, the same fate happened to their lights. Darkness was beginning to win.  
  
But one boy. One boy who was intended to be a Child of Darkness but turned out to be a Child of Light, would keep the balance. It was his destiny.  
  
And now, in this dark place, bright eyes shone through the dark.  
  
"I'm getting you out, Riku. I'm taking you home." The deep voice paused. "All of you."  
  
As opposed to the dark place, this one was so full of light and warmth that it could have been its opposite. Lighting flowed from windows in all directions, a direct sign of family and happiness. The courts of Traverse Town mingled with people of all sorts, talking, laughing, playing. It was hard to believe anything was wrong in the worlds. And perhaps there wasn't.  
  
But the quiet air of the Third District said otherwise. The people who had fought for the peace the worlds felt today were not feeling it themselves. Lives and happiness had been given for the people, and even know these sacrifices had not been returned. For those warriors, this time, the battle was personal.  
  
The near silent swishing and movement of a Gunblade cut through the thick silence of the Third District. Squall Leonhart's grace and skill was so accented that it seemed to be almost an art. As he fought invisible enemies, his deep blue eyes remained hard and focused, his mouth set in an emotionless line. Although his brown hair was heavy with sweat, Leon's expression could fool anyone into believing that he wasn't exerting himself. Anyone except the young ninja watching him.  
  
Her body leaning, completely relaxed, against the stairwell railing, Yuffie Kisaragi shook her head. Black bangs falling across her lighter blue eyes, she straightened, walking completely silent towards the man training across from her. No matter, she couldn't sneak around him.  
  
"Yuffie," He spoke quietly, annoyed. "I asked you not to bother me when I'm training."  
  
She chuckled. "Old habits die hard. I always bother you. Training time is no exception."  
  
He grunted at her, resuming his pace of swiping and dodging an invisible adversary. She continued to watch him for a long time, smiling and bouncing. She watched as his muscles worked, as his black shirt rose to reveal his abdomen. Her grin increased continuously as she watched him work. But when she moved to swipe hair from her eyes, something changed, and her smile disappeared. His eyes were cold and tired, not seeing. His jaw was working, his shoulders shuddering. She didn't think it was because she was annoying.  
  
"Why do you do that, Squall?" She asked after a moment, saddened.  
  
"That's Leon." He reprimanded, but stopped his movements to looked at her. "Do what?"  
  
"Fight something that isn't there?" She whispered, stepping closer. "Can't you let go?"  
  
He snorted, rotating his shoulder. "Times of peace don't last forever, Yuffie."  
  
She sighed, and his head whirled around to watch her shrewdly, as if to see if her somber mood was real or not. She blinked up innocently, a small smile lighting her features as he watched her. It hurt her a little that he took her as someone who couldn't ever be serious, but she knew that he wouldn't have gone far without her optimistic company, despite what he said sometimes. She didn't blame him for being suspicious of her sudden calmness. She was very manic, after all.  
  
As if to set things straight, she placed her hands on her hips. "Well, there's no point in peace if people continue to live as if it wasn't among them!"  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her, placing his weapon point down. She smiled.  
  
"If everyone lived like they expected their happiness would last forever, then they wouldn't be prepared when things weren't so easy anymore." He told her.  
  
She tilted her head. "You mean like Rinoa?"  
  
He tensed instantly, glaring at her before turning away. She made a noise of aggravation, reaching forward and grabbing his arm to prevent his escape. He stilled, although she realized he could have easily thrown her off. She was so sick of everyone speaking in secrets, as if she were too young to understand. Only Cloud knew of her handy eavesdropping skills, and he had yet to do anything about them except warn her fondly not to get caught. Still, she wished she didn't have to use them. She wished Squall would talk to her like an equal.  
  
"Please, Squall. I...I want to know." She whispered.  
  
He kept his gaze away. "Leon. And it doesn't matter."  
  
"You loved her," She persisted. "And I know she loved you, beanpole that you are. You loved and you lost and now you're scared, right?"  
  
He ripped his arm from her grasp, whirling to her with wild eyes. She took a step back, having experienced his wild anger before. His arms came up, gripping her shoulders tightly, causing her to wince in pain. He stared deadly into her own eyes, seeing through to the back of her skull. She swayed from the intensity, but his arms kept her still.  
  
"Shut up," He seethed. "Don't talk about things you don't know about."  
  
She struggled, regaining her senses and glaring back. "I've lost people too. But memories sometimes have to be good enough because we can't do anything else except protect what we have now! If you waste your time in the past, you'll only hurt yourself more in the future! It's time to grow up, Leon."  
  
They stood glaring at each other for a long time. In other Districts people continued to live, music and laughter floated faintly through the walls. Yuffie took a deep breath, lowering her head as far as his arms would allow and shaking it sadly.  
  
"I'm sorry..." She murmured. "I just...I..I just want to help you, Squall."  
  
He snorted, pushed her roughly away and picked up his blade. "I don't need your help."  
  
She laughed without humor straightening herself and turning her back.  
  
"Fine. If you don't need me, I'll just go. Because Aerith and Cloud certainly don't need me. Maybe I should go somewhere where people actually need my help. So long, Squall."  
  
She walked calmly towards the exit, her heart pounding with fear. Would he actually let her leave? If he did, her pride would not allow her to stay like she wanted to. She would have to leave behind the people who had grown to feel like family, find somewhere....  
  
But he apparently didn't think she was bluffing, because she felt herself being crushed against a warm body a moment later. Squall's head bent down to her ear, his arms holding her close. His precious Gunblade lay forgotten on the floor.  
  
"You think you can leave?" He whispered in her ear. "Just like that?"  
  
"If you want me to?" She gulped, mesmerized by his proximity.  
  
He remained silent, his hand raising to stroke affectionately at her short hair. His smell, deep and clean and distinctly masculine, was intoxicating. She felt as if she could fall asleep right there in his arms and stay that way forever. But she knew she couldn't. Feeling extremely tiny against his larger frame, she pushed back against his chest with her hands, putting a small distance between them. But only small. His eyes, deep and rich, and darkened with intensity fixed on her. She moved her hand up, slipping under the open part of his shirt and touching his skin. Those intense eyes closed, and she listened as he breathed deeper and deeper into himself.  
  
"Squall. Leon." She murmured. "I don't expect anything from you. Whoever you are."  
  
He opened his eyes, and if the moment hadn't been so deep and important, she would have felt embarrassed at how romantic the comment sounded. But Squall's closeness didn't leave room for embarrassment. She hardly ever got this close. He watched her silently, not annoyed or angry. Just watching her.  
  
She smiled, reaching up and touching his cheek. "I only want you to heal. I don't care how long it takes!"  
  
He smiled slightly at her characteristic enthusiasm and stubbornness. This thought brought along others. How close they were. How he could smell her. How he could lean down only a tiny bit and kiss her. How she was touching him in a human warmth he hadn't allowed in years. Shaking his head, clearing himself of his stupor, he stepped back.  
  
Yuffie blinked and the moment was gone. But she smiled anyway.  
  
"One day, you'll stop fighting invisible baddies." She said. "and that's the day I'll really feel at peace."  
  
She backed away, putting more space between them and crossing the short distance it took to get to the other side of the district. Once there, she turned back towards him, clenching her fists at her side and bending her knees.  
  
"But until then," She called to him. "You'll fight me instead!"  
  
He blinked, shook his head, and smirked. "So much for your peace."  
  
She smirked back at him. "We'll see."  
  
But as he reached for his Gunblade, she let out a nervous chuckle and he straightened looking out at her for an explanation. She chuckled again, scratching the back of her head.  
  
"Eh...not that I'm scared or nothin'....but lets take this fighting thing one step at a time."  
  
He let out a low chuckle, tossing his weapon to the side, lifting his hand out and gesturing her towards him. She did a little hop, sprinting at him at top speed and raising her fist to give him a quick hit to the gut. He dodged. The battle continued like that for a long while, Yuffie hitting, Squall dodging, Squall hitting, Yuffie jumping out of reach. A few hits were taken, mostly on Squall's part, since in all truth he didn't want to hurt her too badly. It was only when his legs fell from beneath him in a well-executed tackle, that their fight came to an end. He reached for his Gunblade, found nothing but air, and sat up abruptly. Yuffie stood a few feet away, swinging it around like a ridiculous Robin Hood.  
  
He growled. "Yuffie," he warned. "You can't touch that."  
  
She ignored him, deepening her voice in a bad imitation of his, lowering her eyebrows and placing a mock, extremely angry looking frown on her face as she continued to wave it around.  
  
"I am Leonhart!" She was yelling. "Here me roar! I'll defeat ALL of you. You! And you! Aaaaannnd you! And you and you and you! En Guard!"  
  
He clicked his tongue, watching her with dull eyes, forcing down the amusement bubbling in his chest. Lurching forward, he caught her around the waist, picking her up from behind and holding her in the air. She screeched and kicked her legs, trying to release herself from his hold.  
  
"Are you ever going to touch it again?" He asked, eyebrows raised as she looked back at him.  
  
"You'll never control me! NEVER! For I am the Great and fearless...."  
  
He crossed his arms over her stomach, jerking his fingers over her sides. She shrieked and kicked, her laughter echoing throughout the empty district. He bent her over, kicking the dropped Gunblade a side, and resumed his torture, smiling a rare smile as he continued to tickle her.  
  
For a moment, the air inside the Third District seemed almost as happy as the other ones.  
  
And then.... The door to the word opened.  
  
They stopped their movements in surprise.  
  
A morphed shadow emerged, causing Squall to tense and Yuffie to gasp. Heartless? It was impossible. And yet, the shadow continued to move towards them, both of them moving into battle position as Squall let her down, their hearts pounding.  
  
Sora immerged from the shadow, a bent figure slumped over his shoulder. Silver hair and toned island skin identified him to be Sora's friend Riku. Sora was glad in complete black, his eyes tired and lost.  
  
Another young man, perhaps Yuffie's age, moved forward as well. Blonde hair fell in front of vibrant blue eyes. A small girl, maybe Sora's age, was curled against this young man's chest, asleep, auburn hair falling in pools over his arms. This boy and the girl were also dressed in complete black.  
  
"Sora..." Yuffie gasped.  
  
All four of them collapsed to the ground.  
  
Heh. Yes. I am evil. We've been over this. And so ends the first chapter. This story is going to be made up of sort of one-shots but will be a story as well. One-shots that kind of flow together, I guess? Except there will be no action/adventure or violence type stuff. Maybe a little teen angst. But this ones going to be a relatively simple and clean (Woah!) fic without much complications or gore. I hoped you enjoyed! Tell me what you think! I think I'll have the next chapter up pretty soon. I'm filled with writing pep right now.  
  
Merci Buckets. Bows. Bows A plushie of any character for you if you read, a plushie and a COOKIE if you review! Thanks! 


	2. Smoke

Disclaimer: I do not own KH. I don't even own a COPY of the game...I must steal my cousins. Hehehehe...Runs from cousin as he reads over shoulder  
  
A/N: I warn you in advance. I think this chapter is horrible. I re-did it like eighteen times...and I'm still not satisfied. My muse is gone...it just would NOT flow..sorry about that...I hope its not toooo horrible..hehe..hehhe Runs from cousin AND angry readers  
  
Shout outs:  
  
Hotaru170: Heheh. Thank you! I love them too. More so than Squall/Rinoa....but that's just me..eheh...although I really doubt they WILL be together in KH2...we can always hope...Hands you a cookie and a Squall plushie.  
  
ShapeShifter: You deserve a special thanks and TWO cookies. It was because of your curse that I was willed to update this story. It is also your fault that this chapter sucks, because my muse is gone but I HAD to update this anyway, that's okay. Heh. What a cool idea! Perhaps you should keep threatening me with curses. -- I thought yesterday was the eighteenth, right before I fell asleep, so I got up and checked...but it was only the sixteenth. Then I laughed for a TRES long time...Hands you two cookies, a Squall AND a Cloud Plushie  
  
Annjirika: Thank you so much! I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter...although I'm pretty sure I will....I HATE this chapter...anyways...hehe! You love Riku as much as I do?! Finally! Someone who doesn't loath Riku! (Which is slightly funny...since I only know a few authors that do) You rock! Hands you a cookie and a Riku plushie  
  
Deplora: Have I mentioned your one of my favorite authors? (No, I'm not sucking up...really I'm not) but thank you so much for reviewing! I'm pretty sure this chapter is bad, but none the less, I hope you like it. Hands you a Chocolate Chip Cookie and a Squall Plushie Wow...Squall plushies are tres popular...I wonder why...:)  
  
BlueEyedDemon1: Thank thank thank thank you so much! I hope hope hope you like it! Hands you a cookie and a Sora Plushie  
  
fanficlvr: heheh. Why thank you! Hands you a cookie and a Squall plushie, then runs to check if there are any Squall plushies left  
  
PingPong867: giggle Squallikins and Yuffums? I like it! Good guesses! Two out of four! I realized a little two late that the girl's description sounded like Kairi. Maybe I'll change that. Anyway. And the new guy is Shuyin. But Shuyin and Tidus are practically the same person, so perhaps you got three out of four! Heheh. Good job! Hands you a cookie and a Tidus/Shuyin Plushie  
  
BroncosCheer-literofpepsy: Heheh. Ah and Oh no? Are these good things? Hehe. Thank you! Hands you a cookie and a Cloud Plushie (for I have run out of Squall Plushies)  
  
Sora-doragon: heheh. Thank you! (I couldn't help it..) Hands you a cookie and a left-over FF8 Squall plushie for I have run out of KH ones.  
  
Thank you!  
  
Now, my reader, read on!

* * *

The news about the four young arrivals spread fast among the people of Traverse. Truth soon spread into innocent rumors, innocent rumors soon spread into not-so-innocent lies. Whatever version of the story one might have heard, a vast crowd had gathered around the front and back entrance of the hotel. Yuffie and Leon stood on a platform high above the shouting people, raising their voices and trying to calm the riot that had broken out. Aerith stood in the back balcony, taking care of a much calmer crowd and gently explaining the situation.  
  
The four teens had arrived unexpectedly, she explained. Although the connection between the worlds had been broken, they had still come through the world door. However, this did not mean that there should be cause for any panic, as they had communicated with a few experts, and it was confirmed that although the balance had been slightly disturbed, the doors were still locked. She told them that one of the arrivals had been Sora, that the rest were completely safe and harmless. The four of them were asleep inside the hotel, and there was no reason for anyone to get upset. Satisfied, but still extremely curious, the back crowd dispersed.  
  
Aerith sunk to her knees, leaning on the balcony for support. Cloud Strife was there in less than a second from where he had been staying indoors, as he himself had caused a commotion on first arriving. The blond man, perhaps in his middle twenties, bent down beside the gasping Flower Girl and pulled her into his arms. Blue eyes watched her sadly, his lips placing a gentle kiss on her hair, calming her somewhat.  
  
"I don't know how long they'll stay this calm." She whispered. "I just don't."  
  
"They won't stay calm." He rubbed her back. "They're people and people act like that."  
  
She pressed her face into his warm shoulder, giggling weakly. He smiled, tucking her further under his chin, and lifting her legs as he carried her inside. She snuggled into the blankets as soon as she hit the bed, and he smiled gently down at her, amazed and adoring of the fact that something as simple as speaking to a crowd could tire her. He hesitated, watching her with eyes filled with regret, before turning to move towards the door. A cold, gentle hand touched his wrist.  
  
"Don't go." She whispered sadly.  
  
He closed his eyes, moving on to the bed to settle down beside her. His arms tucked securely around her waist. He watched her until her breathing evened out, his heart pounding against his chest, his body trembling slightly. He didn't deserve to hold her like this. He made a move to get up, and she stirred, twisting to face him and burying her face into his shoulder. He stilled, seeing she was still asleep, and pulled her closer to his body, taking comfort in her warmth. A single tear slipped down his cheek.  
  
"I won't," He whispered to her. "I won't go…ever again."  
...............

"Yuffie! Leon! Shut up!"  
  
Eyes so dark and rich in colour that they were almost identical blinked in shock. Eyes of a completely different shade blinked as well. Aerith hardly ever raised her voice unless the situation was to a certain extreme. And since the two tenants of the Green Room argued so frequently, it didn't seem too much of a situation resulting in stress. However, the tall girl was tense, sweat dripping from her forehead. Yuffie blinked in sudden concern. How could four teenagers, only sleeping, tire their healer so?  
  
"Aerith?" Cloud broke the silence, his quiet voice unsettled.  
  
The girl closed her eyes, running a hand through her hair. Yuffie made a small noise in her throat, moving away from the Gunblade master and settling on the end of the bed. Leon eyed the Flower girl shrewdly before moving to his usual spot against the door. The room rang with silence. Aerith nodded her thanks and knelt down beside Sora's tanned figure. Cloud eyed his love, watching as her petite fists clenched and unclenched.  
  
The room was filled with dread. It was full of light and colorful decor; the laughter from the town continued to echo from the outdoors. Yuffie was smiling and Leon was grumbling. Everything seemed light and in place. But the four desolate figures stretched across the soft coverlet of the bed countered all the happiness the room created. From each of them Cloud could sense darkness, radiating off of them like a stench. It swirled around them, making the air as thick as smoke. It pulled him in; he knew Leon felt it too. Yuffie's omnipresent dimple was gone; Aerith's light was drained as quickly as it came. It was enough to make him feel sick. And it did.  
  
"Sorry," She whispered. "I just really need to be alone right now."  
  
"But we can help you–." Yuffie insisted, jumping up. "If you're tired–."  
  
Warm and calloused fingers closed over her wrist. Squall's eyes were blank and emotionless, as always, as they settled on her face. His mouth was set in a grim line as he pulled her towards the door without a word. The warmth from his smile just a day before was gone, the sparkle in his eye had vanished. _This _wasn't Squall. _This_ was Leon. And once again, she was a burden, a thorn. Someone he was being forced to babysit. Her entire body swelled with fury, only allowing a few mumbles to escape from her mouth as she insistently tried to break from his grasp. He turned to her as soon as the door was shut behind them, allowing her to rip her arm from him.  
  
"Why do you have to treat me like a child all the time?" She hissed, rubbing her wrist.  
  
"I will as long as you insist on acting like one." He replied cooly, turning his blunt gaze from the wooden door they had just exited, to her face. He could see from the look in her eyes that he had hurt her and a flicker of regret fired in his stomach. Then the hurt vanished, replaced by a glaring fire, and that flicker was gone.  
  
"I was just trying to help!" She growled.  
  
"Aerith can take care of herself." He replied. "And she asked you to leave. If you were a true friend, you would have listened to her request without question."  
  
She snorted. He stepped quickly to the side as she moved forward, shoving him in the shoulder with her own. He blinked at her retreating back, bemused as to her uncharacteristic anger. A tantrum in which she had no final comment? Amusement bubbled in his chest.  
  
"I don't need a speech about friendship from _you_ of all people, Squall Leonhart."  
  
The words floated down the hall, rebuilding an invisible wall that had only been torn down the day before. His heart twisted painfully in his chest. His Ninja's eyes were cold, proving to him that she meant every harsh word she had said. Yuffie watched as his mouth tightened, eyes darkening. She tensed, preparing herself for a fight.

............  
  
Back in the Green Room, Cloud hesitated. Aerith was a pleasant bundle as his arms pulled her to his chest; he could feel how tired she really was. His hands, warm and soft, reached out to touch her chin. He kept his movements soft and gentle as he kissed her, skin simply brushing skin. He drifted his lips across her cheeks, over her eyes, to the hair he loved so much and finally back to her lips. The deep hole in his chest was finally being filled. When he pulled back, her eyes were still closed. When she finally managed to flutter them open, his mouth twitched to the side. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.  
  
"Cloud Strife," She said in mock outrage. "How dare you take advantage of me so!"  
  
He grinned. "My apologies, M'lady." He tapped her nose, leaning his face close to hers again.  
  
"Well. What a _lovely_ sight to behold."  
  
The one-winged angel blinked, pulling his face back. He knew that voice. Aerith jumped to her feet in shock, cheeks tinged pink. Blue eyes watched them in amusement.  
  
"Sora?!"

...............  
  
Footsteps touched the ground. Soundless. He could see from the way her head was bent and the way she breathed that she was asleep. His lips twitched at the thought; Yuffie was probably the only one anywhere who could fall asleep with a light shining in her face. Although, the Traverse Town Library did have a certain calming aura, with its tall bookcases and furniture all covered in dust. Only he knew that this was Yuffie's special place, an abandoned Library they had found spontaneously behind an old wooden door one day while fighting Heartless. It was where she came to be alone, he knew, although she had told him many times that she hated being alone.  
  
He stopped his quiet pacing when he came to her chair. Her head rested on arms, bent over the old pages of a very old-looking book. Peeking over her shoulder, he caught a brief description of what she had been reading. A book of adventure....about pirates? So...she really did long for adventure again. She didn't want to stay in Traverse forever. What could the small town possibly offer her? Her best friend was here, he supposed, although Cloud was too busy with Aerith to offer Yuffie much attention. Still, he remembered the tears she so rarely shed the day that Cloud had returned. Did she long to be with Cloud and Aerith and the others again?  
  
'Stop it.' He scowled. 'This won't get you anywhere. Its none of your business."  
  
His attention was brought away from his troubled thoughts as she stirred. She let out a long breath through parted lips as she moved, stretching out one arm and turning to rest on it so he could see her face. Dark lashes were fanned over her tanned skin; hair falling into her face. She really did look like a child while she slept, although it wasn't exactly as negatively thought as a few minutes before. Reaching out, he brushed her face with his finger tips.  
  
The angry and hurtful words they had exchanged a few minutes before hung in the air. He watched them pass with lament, wincing despite himself at the idea of hurting her. The feeling shocked him. Why should he care if he hurt her? She was just a silly little ninja....his silly little ninja. Wincing again, this time for a different reason, he shook his head.  
  
"What are you doing to me, Yuffie?" He whispered, brushing back her hair.  
  
She stirred again, shifting her back away from the wooden seat she sat in. With a low chuckle, he bent down and scooped her into his arms, turning towards the exit. He would have to think about the racking facts of life later. He paused in the court of the Second District, ignoring the curious glances he received from the crowds. Their room was occupied, and in a quick moment of thought, he turned and began to make his way towards the Dalmatians House.  
  
Setting her down on the bed, he reached for the blankets piled at the end, bringing them up to cover her chin. She immediately fidgeted, trying to find a comfortable position. He rolled his eyes at the sight, recalling many nights in which it had taken forever for him to sleep with her rustling. He watched her until she stilled.  
  
'Fool,' he thought in slight fondness. 'Silly, annoying, beautiful little fool.'  
  
He bent down, placing a soft kiss on the skin below her left eye. His lips lingered on her skin a little longer than necessary until he fully realized what he was doing, and jumped back. What was _wrong_ with him?  
  
_'I don't need a speech about friendship from _you_ of all people, Squall Leonhart.'_  
  
Turning his back, he rotated a shoulder, clenching his fist and staring at the wall once again. He wouldn't succumb to this. Not again.  
  
"Sleep tight, Yuffie." He murmured stiffly.  
  
When Leon left...  
  
Squall stayed behind.

* * *

ARGH! OMG! This chapter SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCKED! It took me almost a week to write this thing and it still sucked!  
  
Cloud was Corny!  
  
Squall was OOC!  
  
GAH GAH GAH!  
  
Ahem..  
  
Alas, my muse has left me. I think its having an affair. But I promise the next few chapters will be so much better than this! Gah! I hated it!  
  
Please Review. Here's how it works. Each Chapter, I offer a new Treat and a Plushie. Every time to Review, you get a new Plushie (You can request one if you like) by the end of the story, you'll have the whole collection! Heheh! Today, for it is hot outside here in Canada, I am offering Fudgesickles. Enjoy! 


	3. Wisdom

"Sea Salts to Heal."  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. They belong to Square Soft and Disney and the like. I DO own a very large stash of Plushies...but we won't get into that.  
  
AN: If any of you read this chapter before (i.e. Pingpong867) you would have noticed that the whole chapter was one giant paragraph. My english teacher's nightmare. See...I posted this thing...and then I realized that it was jumbled. But when I tried to quickedit it...the quickedit box kept turning into a search pop-up that I couldn't get out of. So...I'm secretly on my mum's forbidden computer while she's out so that I could fix it!

Shout Outs:  
  
Deplora: Heh! A Squall army! That's very smart. If ever you need someone to fight, your army of Squall plushies will sure do the trick. Well, certainly! Hands you a fudge sickle and a brand-new Squall plushie

PingPong867: Well, I must thank you! I do believe you have found my muse for me. At least, I think you did. It might be due to the orange juice I have right here. My muse likes orange juice. Heheh! Well, Cloud is allowed to be corny, I suppose. I mean...Tidus is corny. And we still love him. Hehe! Thank you! hands you a Squall plushie (if only to defend from Deplora's army) and a fudgesickle.

BlueEyedDemon1: Heheh. Thank you. Your review made me happy. hands you a Riku plushie to go with your Sora plushie.

Sqully: hehe...is this tomorrow? (Checks the calendar) Nope..it isn't. I'm sorry! I STARTED this chapter when you asked me to! hands you a fudgesickle and a Cloud Plushie.

Sora-doragon: Heheheh. Yep. Mine too. Unemployed. No ambition. I don't know where I went wrong. Hehehe. The Cloud and Aerith parts are so fun to write. Because I just love Cloud. He's the kind of guy who's all battle cold (like Squall) except he loves her and he' s so nice and warm. (unlike Squall) hehe. hands you a Cloud plushie and a fudgeisickle

Clorith: hehehe. You like those parts? I don't think there is any in this one...but I promise I'll write mote in the next chapter! hands you a Shuyin plushie and a fudgesickle.

* * *

Indeed, it was the Keyblade Master who had voiced his cheeky opinions. Blue eyes, glazed over and half lidded, grinned as much as they could. Sora's brown hair was plastered to his dark skin, damp with sweat, making him look as if he had just emerged from a long fever. 

Anyone who had known Sora as long as Aerith had would have noticed the noticeable and foreign droop to his lips, the darkening under his eyes. He seemed that much older, that much more mature. She didn't like it.

"I would jump at the chance to express my undying feelings of joy," He said softly. "But unfortunately my body can't seem to move. The love will just have to wait."

His voice was deep, deeper than it had been when she had last seen him two years ago. Hoarse, quiet and soft; hinted with the tiniest of accents she couldn't recognize. His boyish features were no longer boyish. What had happened in the short time of two years to change him so much?

"You've changed." She commented, moving to his side, her voice conversational.

He laughed. "I guess so." He winced as her cool hands touched his forehead. "Can the questions wait?"

"Of course."

She smiled warmly, reaching for the small bucket filled with cool water. The sixteen year old closed his eyes as she drifted the cloth of his face, cleaning off the sweat and calming his temperature severely. It wasn't long before he had drifted once again into sleep.

"But–."

"_Cloud_!"

It was at least a day before Sora could open his eyes and keep them open for long periods of time. Yuffie, upon hearing that her old friend was awake, had nearly destroyed the door in an attempt to get through it before the young islander fell asleep again. That was the first time since he had appeared in Traverse Town that any of them had heard him laugh, arms clutching weakly at the eccentric Ninja as she nearly chocked him with hers. His strength was slowly returning, but his spark wasn't. Something that worried them greatly.

However, spark or not, Sora's presence seemed to squelch the darkness Cloud has sensed only a few days ago. And it wasn't long before the others began to awake too. Riku was the first, aware of his surroundings only enough to return Sora's embrace, although they weren't even sure if he knew it was Sora who was hugging him. The next was the girl, perhaps a little more awake then the rest had been, protesting as Aerith had moved to turn the light off. Last was the oldest, eyes so bright they hurt to look at. The young man met each of their eyes only once, before turning to stare out the window. He hadn't moved since.

"He doesn't talk much." The girl said sadly, placing her weak hand on his shoulder.

Yuffie grinned. "Doesn't talk?"

She turned to Squall. "You two should go out and have a nice _conversation_ over tea and biscuits."

"_Yuffie_." Cloud said warningly, although he smiled despite his scolding tone.

Needless to say....they were the strangest group Traverse Town had ever seen.

And that was saying something.

Aerith calmly replaced the bandage on Sora's arm. The young boy smiled at her reassuringly, as if he sensed her worried thoughts.

Tynan, the young girl, was hanging off the side of the bed with her shoulders on the floor, amusedly making faces at Cloud to see what he would do. Yuffie had taken a liking to her immediately. Cloud, it seemed, could not save himself from the sparkle in the girl's eye and began to make faces back at her. Riku sat on her legs, working on tearing the rips off the edges of his shoes. Shuyin sat on the window sill, looking out at the streets below. As if searching the faces of the people for someone.

They all seemed to calm and happy, as if they had lived with them in Traverse ever since the adventure had begun, and not trapped in the suffocating world of Darkness or willing themselves to live. It confused her.

And yet, each of them carried with them a sense of sadness. As if deep down they were really older than they appeared. Too wise for their ages. That they knew something most people couldn't hope to learn, and if they were so lucky, it wasn't until they were very old. It was the feeling she had first had (well...one of the feelings) when she had first seen Cloud. And then Squall. And later, Yuffie. But she still didn't understand it.

"Ugh, Aerith." Sora's voice snapped her from her thoughts. "That bandage might be a little too tight. I can't feel my fingers."

Sora brushed his hands against the furnished walls as he past. It had been so long ago that he'd first stepped foot in the hotel, looking for some clue as to where he was, looking for his two best friends. He remembered the fear he'd felt, mixed with the excitement of experiencing something new. It was really weird, actually. Now, so many years later, he walked down the same hall; fearless and sick of new experiences. After all he had done...was it so much to ask for him to go home? 

'No,' He thought, taking his hand from the wall. 'I can't think like that.'

The Keyblade was his burden now, along with the responsibilities that came with it. And as much as he told himself that it was really Riku's burden, that he hadn't asked for the Keyblade, he still knew deep inside that he'd been chosen for a reason.

"It's my damn tendency to help people." He muttered, kicking the carpet. "I'm just very much too nice."

'Besides," He thought. 'I wished I could be selfish for once. Wasn't saving Riku and the others a selfish use of my abilities?'

But that only added to his list of burdens; because there were still hundreds of children in there waiting to be freed. He was a tool.

Shaking his head at his own thoughts, he turned the last corner of the twisty hallways of the hotel. Placing a dark hand on his bedroom door, he pushed it open. He set down his things immediately on the bed, following soon after with an obnoxious grunt and a sigh. The mattress supported his back wonderfully, something he had missed a lot. Well...that and food.

Shifting his neck against the pillow and placing a hand to his now grumbling stomach, he caught sight of the figure standing by the window. Riku's hair was shorter than he remembered, but either than that it didn't appear his best friend had changed at all. He was still confident, still tough. Still the person Sora had always looked up to. And yet their conversation had been reduce to a nil. Something they needed to talk about desperately, but couldn't find the courage. Riku blaming himself; Sora confused. How could he not hate Riku after all he had done? It was a question that haunted them both.

Riku tilted his neck to the side, as if stretching it. And the room still rang with silence.

"Sora." He said softly, still staring out the window.

"Yeah?" Sora answered, shifting his weight on the bed.

"You..." He turned his head, green eyes flashing at his best friend and former nemesis.

"I..." Sora blinked in confusion, startled by the other boy's intense stare. Riku shook his head.

"Am annoyingly handsome?" He provided, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

His best friend snorted.

"Devilishly charming?"

"I was going to say you're still as stupid as I remembered." Riku informed him.

"Oh," Sora frowned. He wasn't quite sure he approved of that. "Well, thanks."

"Any time."

Their eyes met. Sora's pout quickly vanished from his face. Riku's teasing grin faded. The same question hung in the air. How could they be acting normal? As usual, Riku was the first to break eye contact, turning back to the window.

"Sora." He murmured, filled with a sudden need to speak. "Don't expect me to apologize."

There was a silence from the bed. "Don't expect me to forgive you." Was the answer, spoken softly and a little fearfully.

Riku tilted his head back. The way he used to when he stood in the water, staring thoughtfully out at the horizon. Sora felt a sadness there; a yearning that he couldn't understand. How could someone so strong feel so empty? He hadn't understood that at all on Destiny Islands; understood it even less now, despite what he had been through.

"Riku." He swung his legs over the bed, hungry stomach forgotten. "I'm not mad."

That head tilted forward, as if in sadness or shame. Sora stood, moving to his best friend's side. He pinched his arm, the way that Riku had taught him when they were little, the way that really hurt. Riku yelped in surprise, gripping Sora's arm and twisting it in punishment. The younger boy gave him a sheepish grin.

"I'm not." He insisted. "I should be and you would deserve it. But I'm not."

"I almost_ killed_ you." Riku whispered. "I almost killed _Kairi_. The two most important things to me..."

"You didn't know what you were doing." Sora insisted, desperate. "Ansem...he..."

"I knew what I was doing." Riku interrupted. "In the beginning, I knew what I was getting in to."

Sora, in a move which surprised even Riku, snapped his wrist out of Riku's hold before the older boy even realized what he was doing. Sora was that much more different. He looked the same, he seemed the same. But he wasn't the little kid that needed protecting anymore. Riku bit his lip. If Sora didn't need his protection...what if Kairi didn't either? He'd always taken care of them...but what if they didn't need it anymore? What would be his purpose?

"I know you." Sora said sternly, snapping him out of his daze. "Riku...you've always done what you thought was best. That determination that annoyed the hell out of Kairi and I sometimes. You were caught in a world where that ambition couldn't be released. Kari and me, we didn't need more than what the Island gave us...but you did. You were made for better things." He took hold of the Keyblade hanging by his pocket. "Like the Keyblade. Your determination, your initiative, your need to protect others. That's why you were chosen. Because you're like the Keyblade. But despite all those qualities that made you special...you had one that sometimes didn't work so well. You were so impatient...I don't know if you remember. And when Ansem offered you the chance to leave, to achieve what you'd always wanted...you weren't afraid. You were never afraid."

Riku stared, the words reaching his heart in a way that he hadn't felt in years. In all the time he had known Sora, he had never experienced the younger boy to speak his deep thoughts out loud. He had known that he'd had them. But it was always himself that had spoken his thoughts. Never Sora. Sora loved to keep things simple. The Keyblade...the journey...the burden that should have been his...had given his Sora a new way of looking at things. Silly and Stupid, which were the two things Sora loved to be, were no longer a permanent mood in the young Blade Master's eyes. They were still there, somewhere. But now...Sora could be serious at will. He had the urge to hug the stupid kid around the neck and pinch his cheeks, with joyous shouts of

"Oh my _Sora_ is all _grown up_!"

He resisted that urge with painful dignity.

"Come on, Riku." Sora wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "If I can forgive you...why can't you forgive yourself?"

"Because you've always been too forgiving." He responded, leaning against his best friend's side. "I'm such an idiot."

"You are an idiot." Sora agreed. "You've _always_ been an idiot. Why should that change now?"

Riku sighed.

"Riku." Sora's voice was serious again. "Do you want me to hate you?"

"No!" Riku whirled on him. "No! I..."

Sora shook his head and stepped back, punching his shoulder playfully.

"Then stop being stupid," He pointed out the window. "And go talk with the pretty lady you've been staring at for the past half hour."

"I wasn't staring!" Riku protested, giving him a shove. "I was watching. There's a difference....and hey! I _wasn't _looking at her."

"Yuh-huh." Was his witty reply. "Just like I didn't want to try that popau fruit."

Riku grinned. Turning the table time. "So you did have a crush on Kairi."

He flushed. "How smart of you to notice!" He looked away.

Riku's grin faded regretfully. The spark in his eye had died again.

"We'll see her again, Sora. We will."

Blue eyes turned to him. Looking up to him, needing protection. "You...really think so?"

He nodded. "I really do."

Sora sniffed, pushing his feelings aside. As usual.

"Now stop embarrassing me and go talk to her."

Riku smiled. "I wasn't watching her like that, if that's what you mean. It's just...."

"I get it. You have a bond with her."

Riku stared at him. "What?"

"You'll understand eventually. Don't worry about it. I had one too."

Riku moved towards the door, shaking his head. "You make no sense."

"Of course I don't. Have I ever?"

Riku stopped in the doorway, blinking and grinning in astonishment.

"You're right." He replied. "And so was I. You're still as stupid as I remember!"

"_Riku_!"

Tynan stood carefully on the white carved stone beneath her feet. The distance between the ledge on which she stood and the closest crate was a great one, and she gripped the strong railing that poked into her back. She wouldn't let her fear of falling ruin this. She'd waited too long. 

The wind pushed her bicoloured hair from its ponytail, pushing it in flanks in front of her indigo eyes. Her body was small, but built well against the wind that so forcefully tried to push her over the edge and into the dark street below. She crossed her arms over her chest, staring gloomily into the shadows that were cast on the alleyway behind the hotel. She never wanted to go into the shadows again. Instead, she tilted her head to look up at the specs of light in the sky. A slow, unused smile spread across her face. The worlds. So pretty from far away, but so dangerous if you got too close. Like fire.

The wind pierced her skin and made her eyes water. But she didn't care. How long had she been able to sit like this? Smile? Breath? Many years in the darkness. Another month trapped inside the Hotel. Her lungs were moving faster than she could breath. And it felt good.

Her shirt had been ripped of the sleeves in Aerith's hurry to get to the wounds that hid underneath them and her pants were so thin and worn that they didn't do much to keep in the warmth either. And despite the fact that she had been cold in the darkness for almost seven years of her life, she shivered. She decided she didn't like the cold all that much. But she'd put up with it for now. Just so she could stay like this.

Eventually, she stood; tip toeing forward and peeking over the edge to see if she could catch sight of the bustle of people below. The wind gave a particularly violent howl, and she squeaked, raising her sore arms to balance herself out before she fell.

"Watch it there." Said an amused voice from behind her. "It'd be stupid if you fell now."

She blinked, backing away from the ledge and turning around. Riku stood, leaning against the wall. And despite his tone, he wasn't smiling. She sighed.

"Stupid." She agreed, clambering back over the rail. "But typical of me."

"Perhaps," He turned to go back inside. "It would be better if you stayed inside, then."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, as if studying him. His hair fell to the nape of his neck, catching the moonlight and shining on contrast to his dark clothing. The moon made his dark skin seem even more mysterious, adding to his beauty, adding to the puzzle around him that she just couldn't figure out. She could remember times when she'd felt like letting go, and then felt his solid arms wrapping around her shoulders and shaking her. She could remember watching him slip into the darkness, snapping him out of it, and holding him as the last of his tremors and tears died away. He was a pillar, someone she could count on, someone who counted on her.

But now that they were out and free...it was different. They were in the light...it was real. She could see him and hear him and watch him. And despite that pillar of strength they shared...she didn't know him. It was like he was a complete stranger she had deep feelings of friendship for that were unexplained. Sometimes he'd be completely relaxed and playful, like he was with Sora. Then... he'd suddenly become this cold and protective person. But it wasn't the right kind of protection.

"Riku." She said, and he stopped. "Maybe I _wanted_ to come out here."

His light eyes met hers. "Right. Maybe you'd fall off the edge and fly?"

She nodded. "Maybe. Don't you know how?"

He turned around, facing her with a look of incredulousness that made her a little smug.

"I guess not." She looked up at the stars again. "Maybe one day I'll teach you."

She expected an arrogant comment. She expected him to snort or push her away like he usually did. As if he had no time for her stupid ideas. As if she didn't know anything about being hurt or facing the darkness. As if he was more experienced.

But he was silent for a moment and she felt his piercing eyes at the back of her neck. The air was thick with tension, as it always was. And for a moment, Ty thought she could actually reach out and touch the barrier that fitted between them. Then:

"I'd like that."

Surprised and more than a little shocked, she whirled around.

But he was already gone.

_"I'm through waiting...I'll fix it." _

_"You must stop! That's enough.." _

_"I can't explain this..." _

_"I'm scared." _

_"I won't let them do this to you. I won't!" _

_"Save your tears. I'll be back." _

_"Well, maybe if you didn't make a fool of yourself all the time..." _

_"You know...you're the only way I can save Lenne.." _

_"Lenne..." _

_"You must stop! That's enough..."_

_ "Lenne...I'm so sorry..." _

_"Shuyin..." _

__

"Shuyin!"

He woke up with a start. He tilted his head to the side, and saw blue eyes looking down at him in fear and worry. He knew those eyes. But they weren't Lenne's. He wiped the lingering tears from his face, gently but forcefully pushing away the girl that hovered over him.

"Should I go get Aerith?" Tynan whispered worriedly, getting up from the bed.

"No." He replied, lifting his hands and rubbing his temples.

"But you were yelling...and crying.."

"It was just a dream, Ty." He said sternly, glancing at her and then away. "Just a dream.."

The girl still looked uncertain, but she settled down on the bed anyway, watching him closely.

He'd protested against having anyone room with him at all. But since it didn't seem entirely appropriate for her and one of the two boys her age to bunk together, and she was the only one he would react to anyway, Shuyin had been forced to oblige. Tynan knew about his past. And he knew she wouldn't let it go. Stubborn that she was.

"Lenne again?" she asked innocently.

"It doesn't matter." He turned his back to her, pulling the blue covers off the edge of the mattress and pulling them over himself. He felt the mattress shift ever so slightly as the girl settled back down, resting her head on the pillows and staring into his back.

"It matters." She said quietly. "It matters a whole lot."

"I said it _doesn't matter_ Tynan!" He swung his legs over the bed, moving towards the door.

"W-where are you going?" She asked, surprised at his sudden anger.

"Out." And despite the heavy rain that fell from the sky, and his young roommates' protest, he made his way slowly down the hall.

And the tears began to fall again.

"You are so completely unbalanced!"

Squall Leonhart pushed the hair forcefully from his face, water spraying everywhere as he did so. The rain continued to pound down from the heavens ;soaking him to the bone, flooding the streets, and leaving him with a thoroughly pissed Great-Ninja-Yuffie.

"Hey," He replied, cracking his knuckles. "You wanted to train. We trained."

"I _never_ said training in a flood!" She growled. "Never_ ever_!"

He rolled his eyes, imitating her whine "_Didja_ expect me to go easy on you?"

She glared at him. "This isn't non-easy, Squall Leonhart! This is cruel."

"It is cruel." He agreed. "I'm a cruel person."

A splash of muddy water hit him dead in the face. He spluttered and coughed, wiping his mouth clear of the dirty liquid and glaring at the giggling teenager that stood before him. She stood, looking quaintly innocent with her big eyes. However, common sense and experience kept Squall Leonhart from being fooled. She was also, quite _conveniently_, standing beside a rather large puddle. She wanted to play that way, did she?

Growling, he pulled off his shirt, wiping it around into a tight rope. (A/N: My friends..picture this. Squall, shirtless, soaking wet and standing in the rain. hands everyone a bucket and a mop to wipe up the drool) His whipped the towel down and across the water, sending a disk-shaped splash on to the laughing ninja. She stopped laughing immediately.

"Oh ho ho." She said dangerously. "This is war!"

"Isn't it always?" He replied, giving her another splash.

And so it began. Yuffie quickly lost track of who she was, where they were, who was winning. All she knew was that she had to splash for her life and that Leon was allowing some sort of human interaction that wasn't sparring. Squall was swept up with her laugh, her yells, and the water. The fact that he was actually having fun. Yuffie was dancing around, splashing him with all the strength her little body held. And when all instinct told him to think she looked like a drowned rat, he could only see the happy sparkle in her eyes that suddenly wasn't annoying him. That she was happy, that he had made her happy. That _she _had made _him_ happy.

Swiftly, silently and calmly; the way he did everything; he slid down and scooped Yuffie's legs from under her, effectively tossing her to the ground. The water splashed around her, pouring over her body. She looked up at his face, so close to hers, and laughed. Just laughed. The rain was speckling on her face, and suddenly, Squall forgot everything he had told himself just weeks before. Leaning down, he kissed her nose. She stared at him in shock, a small, wrinkled hand reaching out to run her fingers over the small chain of his necklace. Rolling to the side, letting the rain pour over him as well, he let the rain speckle over his face too.

The lights flickered, Traverse Town's universal sign of danger

_"There's lightning in the air, folks! Any crazy people left in the streets, please report to the closest abandoned shack or Accessory Shop!"_

Yuffie stood, brushing the water from her shorts. "Leave it to Cid to advertise during a danger announcement." She snorted.

Squall stood. "We can go in now." He muttered, swiping his hair again, keeping his eyes anywhere but her.

However, he could feel her eyes on him, questioning. Yuffie was a bundle of everything he had worked so hard to stay away from; something he couldn't seem to control. He hated not being able to control his own life. But did he hate Yuffie?

When he glanced at her, she saw the confusion in his face. So the kiss hadn't been her imagination, not if her nerves had anything to do with it. But despite her yearning to ask questions, he looked so completely and unusually lost, she decided she'd let him off the hook. Just this once. There was always time to bother him about it later. Instead, she did what she did best.

She changed the subject.

"Aha!" She stood, water running down her face and body as if she were a waterfall. "The Yuffie wins once again!"

He blinked, eyes traveling worriedly to the sky as he saw a flash of lightning.

"Yuffie.."

But the young ninja was ignoring him.

"I've got the power!" She yelled into the sky. "I've got the power! Buah eheheh.."

"Yuffie.." He repeated, and then realized the rain was so strong that she couldn't hear him. The water was already beginning to raise to their knees, preventing anyone from moving easily. Why weren't the drains doing their job?

A streak of lightning lit up the sky, flashing so brightly it lit up the entire district. Yuffie gasped, stumbling backwards and tripping into the water. Squall moved without thinking, trudging through the waist-deep water, picking her up forcefully by the shoulders. He pulled her closely against his chest, weaving his arms around her small frame and staring defiantly at the storm above them. It forked.

"Watera." He whispered, directing the spell towards the string of electricity.

It wouldn't work for long.

He pulled Yuffie be the wrist, dragging her behind him as he fought his way against the current. More water was pouring out of the walls and he knew it wouldn't be long before they couldn't get out at all. He could hear Yuffie's breath coming short behind him, recalling that she had a harder time breathing when she was frightened. If anything, this gave him more strength.

"Can we make it to the Hotel?" She wheezed, fighting to keep up with him.

"What do you _think_?" He yelled back, squinting his eyes for a place to take refuge.

"If we die," She yelled. "That will have been the last thing you ever said to me!"

"No ones going to die." He growled, pulling her forward as he caught sight of a doorway.

He slammed himself into the doorway, kicking it open forcefully and pushing the young girl in before him. He followed soon after, and he felt Yuffie beside him as they pushed the door closed against the rush of water that threatened to fight its way in. When it slammed shut, they slumped to the floor in a heap.

Yuffie's tiny body was turned into his chest, breath coming in short puffs against his wet neck. He tucked her head under his chin, closing his eyes as he fought to regain his breath. Their legs were tangled and they were soaking wet. But their combined body warmth proved to be enough for the time being. Not that either of them would admit it.

Once they had calmed down, Yuffie shifted around to look at their surroundings. The small hut was completely empty, made of the solid ground that looked like dirt but really wasn't. The walls were white and dusty, but they were crack-free, despite the room's old look. Squall sighed.

"Well," Yuffie said cheerfully. "At least there's no crooked old men trying to sell us accessories."

Squall blinked at her, raising his eyebrow.

"What?" She blinked back, raising the same brow. "You don't think Cid is crooked?"

"He's very crooked." Squall agreed. "But you told me before that I was unbalanced. And since I know you're perfectly deranged, I wondered if Cid might have been a better person to have in here."

Yuffie pinched him. "Har-de-hah, Squall. Very har-de-hah. Put your shirt back on before you die."

He grinned, but did as he was told. "Leon."

She sighed, the kind of sigh one uses when they've given up.

"But Leon is so...blah. Why not add some spice to it? Like Le-on. Or some rave. Like Neon. Or you could always add some melody to is like Leeeee—ooooooooooo--."

He didn't know if it was the happiness she'd filled him with in that brief moment before the storm. He didn't know if it was the way he couldn't get her spontaneous laughter, something he had never understood, out of his head. He didn't know if it was because she looked beautiful, even if she was drenched. He didn't know if it was because he could see the tiny drop of water that rested on the tip of her nose. (He figured later that he'd been trying to stop her horrendous singing.) He grabbed her around the waist, holding her closely to his chest. She squeaked, shocked by the force of his hold.

"Squall?" She whispered, his hair tickling her nose.

He didn't correct her.

"Can...can you just...talk to me?" She asked quietly, meekly.

His eyes felt heavy, his entire body warm and relaxed. Not exactly the correct feeling to have, soaking wet and sitting on a hard floor. He sniffed, adjusting his shoulders to rest against the wall, still holding her to him.

"What..." He paused. "Do...you want to talk about?"

She looked up at him in shock. "Everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

Squall looked down at her with half lidded eyes. He didn't know if he could promise everything.

But he could start with his name.

* * *

Wow. I originally wrote that ending with a much more fluff...at midnight last night. Then, I read it again this morning and realized it's only the third chapter...so I changed it up. But it's still a little fluffy eh?

Note 1: It might take me a little while longer to post now, since I'm at my mums for July and the computer is full of viruses and pop ups. Plus, I also have five siblings who love to use the computer as much as I do.

Note 2: I realize that Shuyin doesn't really have much explanation for his character. (For those who HAVN'T played FFX-2.) But it will come later. Along with The Tidus! I always get mad when people argue over who is better: Shuyin or Tidus. Technically, they're the same person. Only Shuyin is crazy. But I mean...wouldn't you be? I really think Shuyin was exactly like Tidus when he was alive. Heheh. They even have the same voice actor! (That creeped me out. How can the voice of Tidus be so creepy as Shuyin?) Hehe..anyway...besides my obsession...Shuyin will develop as a character and become less...characterless.

Note 3: Tynan is a real experiment for me. Generally, in my stories, my OC's have been pretty bad. I eventually stopped using them. I only have one other OC besides Tynan who is pretty good, so I'm determined not to make them the same character. Feed back about her would be much appreciated!

Note 4: Does the emotion stuff seem pretty heavy? Yeah...but don't worry! As soon as everyone settles down...it's going to get lighter! I promise!

Please Review!! (and you shall get a new plushie and...looks around and a piece of my grandma's birthday cake! I made it myself!)


	4. Water

"Sea Salts to Heal."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of said characters or Hotels. I do, however, own the ice water that is in this story. As I snuck in and provided it. That is all.  
  
A/N: Warning: The theme of this chapter, I think, just might be water.  
  
Enjoy!

* * *

_"What were you _thinking_?"  
  
Shuyin set his pen down on the table with a sign, drapping his arm over the chair and flicking his hair out of his eyes as he turned to look at the young woman standing behind him. He winced outwardly as he saw the fire that burned in them, knowing that nothing could possibly save him now from the young songstress' wrath now.  
  
"What do you mean, what was I thinking." He asked, swinging his legs around the chair as well.  
  
"Don't play dumb." She growled, trying to ignore his pleading eyes. "What...why would you.."  
  
"Join the army?" He supplied, and she nodded. "The same reason you became a summoner."  
  
"I had the gift!" She exclaimed, shaking her hands at him. "It was my responsibility–."  
  
"Lenne." He stood, crossing the small distance of their apartment to grip her forearms gently. "I know, okay? I've heard it a hundred thousand times."  
  
"Then why did you–." She looked away.  
  
He sighed again; it seemed to be a popular response for him lately. He tugged her forward against his chest, encircling his arms around her and holding her tight. He felt the cool touch of air as she sighed against his neck and smiled sadly.  
  
"I joined the army because I can, Lenne. Blitzball is a way for people to forget...but that's not enough. Not for me. I want this stupid war with Bevelle to end...not it up."  
  
"You make people happy with your blitzing.." She whispered.  
  
"And I can continue to do that after the war is over." He replied, pulling back and holding her at arms length. "If I can stop the war before they put you in the front lines.."  
___

_Her eyes widened. "So that's what this is about!"  
  
His eyes hardened, a feirce anger rising in him that frightened even Lenne. She'd never seen him so mad as when she'd first told him that the summoners were being sent out on the front lines. The war that had raged between the two biggest cites, Zanarkand and Bevelle, had gone on long enough. Aeons, the powerful creatures in which only Summoners could create, were enough to stop it. Or so the leaders of Zanarkand thought. Personally, Lenne didn't think the magical creatures would be enough against Bevelle's powerful machina.  
  
Neither did Shuyin.  
  
"Of course it is!" He growled. "I won't let them do this to you. I won't!"  
  
He watched as tears bubbled in the corners of her dark eyes, brown hair falling foward and across her face as she tilted her head away. With another sigh, Shuyin touched her face, wiping her tears and tilting her chin.  
  
"Save your tears." He murmured gently. "I'll be back."  
  
She hugged him feircely, burrying her face in his neck. "When are you leaving?"  
  
He tightened his arm around her. "Three days."  
  
She gasped. "Three days. Three _days_?"  
  
"I'm sorry, love." He murmured. "You know I have to do this."  
  
She sighed and burried herself more in his warmth.  
  
"Of course." She muttered. "You and your determination. Can't just be peaceful and stupid and stick to Blitzball."  
  
He chuckled. "You know how selfish I am. My happiness comes first."  
  
"Selfish, right." She snorted. "You can't help it."  
  
He smiled at her and nodded. "Okay?"  
  
She smiled. "Not even close."  
  
"Ah." He kissed her forehead. "But it was a heroic effort, right?"  
  
She giggled. "Right."_

_

* * *

_Shuyin jerked awake. He wondered why he hadn't noticed earlier that he was sleeping in chest-deep water. He shook his head to clear himself of her voice and her eyes.  
  
_'She's gone_._'_ he told himself. _'Get over it.'  
_  
But he knew he wouldn't. Instead, he pushed off the wall, diving under the surface of the rain water and wondering how Traverse could have flooded so badly in one night. The water was freezing and dirty, but he persisted with his infamous determination, using powerful strokes to cross what he assumed (it was so filled with water, he couldn't really tell) to be the Second District. For a moment, he wished he had a Blitzball.  
  
_'Not a blitzball._' He thought. _'You want you old life back.'  
_  
He couldn't return to Tynan's persistant questions, Sora's never-ending cheer or Aerith's maternal worry just yet. He could see the Hotel in the distance and had no desire to return right away, despite the face that he was wet and cold. He needed time to think. Turning, he began to swim the other way.  
  
He'd heard the Dalmatians had a piano.

* * *

Riku pushed open the door of Tynan's bedroom, careful not to step on the floorboard he knew made a squeeking sound. Green eyes scanned the room carefully, noting the open window and the rain that was splattering through and wetting the grey plush carpet. Wind rustled through, blowing the sheets and papers all across the room. He snorted, entering the room and shutting the window with a dull click. The storm outside continued to rage.  
  
Tynan watched him with interest, curled up on the mattress. She was wearing a pair of pants that had most likely once belonged to either Leon or Cloud, rolled up to the knees so they would fit. Her shirt, surprisingly, belonged to her; left here from her travels before she had been captured. It was stylish but odd, threads and shreds giving it a distinct look of the place she came from. He took that moment to study her as she studied him.  
  
Her hair was a medium brown colour, natural red highlights bouncing off the light, falling in flanks down to her shoulders. He gave a start, realizing he had never seen her with her hair down before. Indigo eyes looked around at everything with a sparking interest, wide but deep set with lines from stress caused by fighting the dark. Tiny scars littered themselves around the corners of her eyes. It gave her a look that made others think she was always tired or weary. Her skin, to his surprise, was toned and covered with freckles; it didn't make sense..since she'd been in the darkness for years. When he asked, she carefully reminded him that darkness froze time, keeping things the way they are. A good explanation, he thought, as to why they hadn't starved to death.  
  
"Ah...Riku?"  
  
He blinked at her. She was smiling.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just making sure you were okay." She replied. "Your eyes got kinda glazed over there for a sec."  
  
He rolled his eyes. She moved her feet up to make room for him to sit down. Once he was settled against the footboard, she smiled again and went back to the string she held in her hands. The spot beside her was unharrased, telling him why she was making a necklace so early in the morning instead of sleeping.  
  
"Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked quietly, moving into that empty spot.  
  
She shifted in surprise to his closeness. "Not tired."  
  
Riku was quite for awhile. He knew it was a lie but he didn't care. The wall was down, replaced by a feeling of friendship he had long since lost. He could lie here with her, and feel comfortable. Without feeling bad about himself. Because...she understood. And he knew perfectly well the reason she wasn't sleeping. Her socks were off and she was curled into herself. She looked so small and unprotected. And yet he knew under that 'cute' exterior that she could take care of herself. And that confused him.  
  
"He hasn't come back yet?" He asked casually, once she'd returned to her necklace.  
  
"No." She murmured, setting her necklace down. "He won't be back for awhile."  
  
"You're not worried?" He asked, looking out at the pounding rain.  
  
"Not really." She replied, lying down. "He can take care of himself."  
  
He felt a surge of jealousy. How could she not worry? How could she not think about what could happen to him in the rain? It was something Riku had always been burdened with.  
  
"Why aren't you sleeping?" She asked him, playfully grinning up at him.  
  
He looked away and his lip twitched. "Sora was drooling."  
  
It was the first time in awhile he'd made someone laugh.  
  
With his own grin, which he made quick work in concealing as he turned his head, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. She watched him cross the room, and stared in shock as his hand was offered to her. She placed it in his, starting at the delicious warm tingle it shot up her arm. His hand was warm and calloused, uncovered by his usual glove. He pulled her to her feet, his eyes intently on hers, and she turned her face to hide her sudden blush.  
  
"We should go wake Sora up." He spoke softly, his voice deep as he let go of her hand.  
  
She placed her hand on her face, closing her eyes and calming her heart like she'd been trained to do in times of extreme stress. She opened her eyes again and stared at his back, a giggle escaping her throat as she smiled a little. Times of extreme stress; battle. And yet...now she was being forced to use it because he'd done something as simple as touching her hand? It made her feel stupid.  
  
It made her feel normal.  
  
"Riku?" She said quickly, stepping foward to catch up with him.  
  
"Yeah?" He turned to her.  
  
Their eyes met for a brief moment.  
  
"I think the Hotel kitchen gives out ice water.."

* * *

She was warm. It wasn't a blanket-on-a-cold night kind of warm. This warmth also provided comfort and security, enveloping all of her and keeping her close. Shaking her head, she opened her eyes only to meet the cotton-clad skin of a smooth chest. She was drenched in sweat, she realized, noticing how it stuck to her skin instead of simply drying like water. And the sweat was coming for that cotton-clad skin. She looked up.  
  
"No." Squall muttered, and she jumped. "Please..."  
  
His hair was plastered to his face, his breathing ragged. She sat up a little as his body twisted, his teeth clenching in pain as he continued to mutter. It sounded as if he was running, running away from something that frightened him greatly. Filled with the frustration she'd seen in him when he couldn't find something important. Filled with loss.  
  
_'He's having a nightmare.'_ She thought in awe.  
  
"Squall." She called softly, touching his shoulder. "Squall, wake up."  
  
He groaned. "No...I'm sorry..._Rinoa_.."  
  
His body jerked, beads of sweat running down his forehead as he fought against Yuffie, who was holding his arms in an attempt to wake him. She reached a hand up and touched a cool palm to his forehead, which seemed to calm him immediately. He was dangerously feverish. Probably what caused the nightmare. She was filled with a sense of fear, overcoming the strange sense of contentment she had felt just moments earlier. If she couldn't wake him up..  
  
"Squall." She said loudly, her voice cracked. "_Squall_, wake up!"  
  
His teeth clenched and he groaned in pain again, his body twisting. Yuffie's heart jumped, and she listened intently for the sound of rain on the ceiling. Squall was sick. Possibly really sick. She needed to get help.  
  
"Squall." She whispered to him, soothing his hair. "I'm going to get Aerith."  
  
"No!" His eyes opened, but she could tell from the unfocused look that he wasn't truly awake. His arms wrapped around her small waist, and she was pulled against his chest again with a small shout. "Don't leave! Don't leave...please..."  
  
_'He thinks I'm Rinoa.'_ She realized, and hesitated. _'Yuffie. Who cares who he thinks you are...he needs comfort. And if he thinks I'm her...then so be it.'  
_  
She wrapped her arms around his back, pressing into the sweat-covered t-shirt. She thought he heard Squall wimper as he held her tightly, and she closed her eyes against the sudden tears that threatened to overflow. She'd never seen Squall admit to such weakness. If he was like this in his sleep..in his conscience...that meant that maybe, just maybe, deep down beneath the Leon..  
  
Squall was crying out for help.  
  
She soothed his hair and held him tighter, realizing that this was probably the only chance she'd ever be able to comfort Squall. The tears slowly subsided. She wouldn't let him go through anything alone. Never again.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere." She whispered to him softly. "I promise."  
  
Outside, the rain began to subside.

* * *

"-- So then, Yuffie comes flying out the door. She was running as fast as she could, so I knew that Leon had been serious when he told her to leave. That's when we first saw Sora."  
  
Cloud's bright blue eyes flickered with interest, and he shifted his position on the bed, resting his chin on Aerith's knee. Aerith's hands combed through his hair, and he considered what she had said and looked up at her thoughtfully. Her mouth was twitching in the corners, a perfect display of her thoughts concerning the two tenants of the Green Room.  
  
"What's going on between those two anyway?" He inquired, sitting up. "I've never heard Sq– Leon argue with anyone so irritably before. I mean..its Yuffie..but even she isn't that annoying.."  
  
Aerith smiled. "Oh, that's just what they like to do."  
  
Cloud gave her a distinct look of disbelief. "Hello? Have you seen the way they glare?"  
  
She smiled. "That's just how they show affection."  
  
"Well," Cloud murmured. "I hope they're never affectionate with me."  
  
Aerith giggled. "You'll get used to it."  
  
Cloud sighed and shifted so that he was lying beside her, their elbows touching. His eyes scanned the ceiling as he thought. He'd been a little shocked when he'd first been told that Squall and Yuffie bunked together. He'd been even more disturbed when he discovered they slept in the same bed. It hadn't bothered him after he'd thought about it; Yuffie was young and stubborn, perfectly capable of looking after herself (not that Squall would do anything to her) Squall, no, Leon was...well....Squall. Unwilling to allow human contact. Besides...what was it about society that insisted that two people put in one room would jump eachother? 

_'More like jumping at eachothers' throats.'_ He thought, smirking.  
  
And yet their constant bickering was that of two old friends. Or, perhaps, a married couple. The thought alone made him grin, and he wondered why the thought of them together didn't bother him as much as it should have.  
  
"I think its more than that." He told her after awhile.  
  
"Oh my." Aerith said softly. "When did you become so incredibly shrewd?"  
  
"It's a natural gift." He informed her, grinning. "You were just too busy with my good looks to notice it before."  
  
He was met with an innocent smile that worried him, and a pillow in the face. His curse was muffled as she smothered him, rolling him off the bed and on to the floor. He raised his eyebrows at her giggling form as he stood slowly, jumping back on to the bed and grabbing her by the waist. Where she expected a come back, for Cloud was not one to take pillows in the face lying down, she only felt Cloud snuggled into the pillows beside her, holding her close.  
  
"Going back to bed?" She asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yup." He replied. "And so are you."  
  
"I'm not going to sleep again." She scolded. "Besides, I should check on the others..."  
  
A gloved hand reached up and wrapped around her neck, pulling her down and into the pillow below her. Cloud immediately attached himself to her, keeping her as close as possible. Aerith found herself melting at his unfamiliar childish act.  
  
"I'm not going to sleep!" She said forcefully.  
  
He opened his eyes to look at her and she groaned.  
  
_'Not the eyes_..' she thought. _'Not the eyes_.'  
  
"Oh, fine!" She said, as he did The Eyes. "But only for five minutes."  
  
He grinned into the pillow, his lips ghosting over her neck and his arm encircling her waist once again. Aerith stared at the ceiling, refusing to comply to the wamrth of his embrace, the tickle his lips caused on her neck...she would not go back to sleep...  
  
He kissed her cheek and she sighed.  
  
"On second thought..."  
  
"Hmm?" He asked, still grinning.  
  
"The others can look after themselves."  
  
He chuckled. "That's my girl."

* * *

Sora was very very _very_ wet.  
  
Riku and Tynan, who had scrambled rapidly out the door, a bucket that had once been filled with ice water clutched between them (and had now been so nicely dumped on him) were very very _very_ dead.

* * *

Heeee! I liked this chapter! I'm sorry there are no review replies, but I will do double duty next time as I want to get this one up really quickly. This one took me forever guys..almost a month in fact. Please Review and tell me how you liked it!  
  
P.S. How'd ya'll like the ending? I really really couldn't help it. Sora's so alone right now...I thought he needed a little ice water. 


	5. Friendship

"Sea Salts to Heal."

Disclaimer: I don't own Square. I probably do own the flu I gave to Leon though, but feel free to take that from me sans Disclaimer.

A/N: Oh my my. What's it been. A year? A decade? I can hardly tell anymore. The point is, I updated after a damn long time. Sorry about that.

This chapter is what I call Patchwork. A chapter written and rewritten two trillion times and patched together to form this end result. Its not that great, but its an update. :D

Thank you all so much for reviewing! I love you all, and I know I havn't been up to standard on giving out plushies, but hopefully that will pick up soon.

_Italics _Thoughts

**_Bold Italics _**Flashback.

Enjoy!

* * *

The feeling of too much blood to the head was prominent. It was a feeling he'd grown accustomed to over the years of living with Yuffie. However, now he could feel his heartbeat in his head and in the rest of his body as well. His butt was sore, his legs were numb, and his clothes were the kind of sticky he hated, as if they had dried while still on his body. And a swift feeling of sickness was growing from his stomach and slowly traveling up his chest. The slightly touch on his skin sent shivers through his stomach, including the too-warm, itchy bundle that was curled against him. 

Opening heavy eyelids, he looked to his left. Yuffie's arms were tucked around his waist, her face resting on his ribs. She was the perfect picture of innocence when she was awake, big blue eyes and wide smile. Oh, how he knew different. But when she was asleep, mouth hanging open slightly and hair falling in front of her eyes, she looked so stupid he had a hard time convincing himself that she was as demonic as she proved herself during her awake hours. He watched her, feeling the traces of left over tears on his face, remembering.

**_I'm not going anywhere. I promise._**

He raised a gloved hand to his face, wiping off the tears, only leaving room for more sweat. He could feel it in his face, neck and shoulders that he was oveheated. And from the feeling in his stomach, he suspected it wasn't a good sign. Yuffie was warm against his side, too warm, and he shifted. Yuffie woke suddenly, big blue eyes opening, usually big mouth closing as she sat up.

"Squall." She murmured sleepily, detatching herself from his waist.

"Leon." He groaned, shifting his neck and back as his muscles groaned in protest.

She frowned, pulling his hand from his face and replacing it with hers. He relished the feel of her cold hands on his hot face, cooling down his brain but charging his thoughts again.

**_I'm not going anywhere. I promise._**

"How are you feeling?" She asked, concerned.

He pulled away from her hands with a groan, refusing to answer her question but not willing to make a fool out of himself. Titling her head to the side, she reached up to help him un-do the collar of his jacket. Squall shoved her hands away again, although this time he had a much better reason. The Gunblade Master lurched to his feet, pushed open the window and was violently sick. With as much dignity as possible of course.

He wiped the back of his mouth in disgust, limbs shaking from the shock. He pushed himself away from the window, stumbling on oddly weak knees. Whatever relief he had felt a moment before was gone as another fresh wave of dizziness sent shivers down his body, his stomach giving another flip.

"That bad, huh?"

He raised heavy eyelids to the ninja standing across from him, a slight narrowing of the eyebrow despite his weakness indicating what he thought of her. She giggled, soothing his bangs to annoy him. He groaned, moving away from her and anything that could touch him. He hated being sick.

"Come on, Squall." She said gently. "Dr. Yuffie will take you to Mother Aerith."

"I don't need help." He rasped, his throat twinging painfully. "I'm fine."

She took his arm and lead him to the door of the hut, and he found he was too weak to even resist that. Of all strength of body, mind and spirit. Apparently, he didn't have a very strong immune system. Yuffie was busy checking under the seal for water when his stomach gave another twinge, and he bolted for the window.

"Well, I don't know how you have so much to throw up. We havn't eaten in hours." She smiled.

He glared at her. "_Don't_ talk about _food_."

"What's this? Squall Leonhart admitting to weakness?" She straightened her back, holding out her hand.

He pushed past her and to the door. "The water would have drained by now. And I told you, I don't want help."

"Oh, don't be such a baby." She told him, slipping her arm underneath his shoulder blades and partially supporting his weight. "You're sick. And sickness becomes worse if you don't take care of it."

"I can take care of myself." He replied stubbornly, opening the door and stepping to the side as a pathetic flow of water trickled into the hut. The entire district was still flooded, but the level seemed to have dropped to ankle height. And the storm had finally stopped.

Yuffie sighed. "Squall.."

"Leon."

She sighed again. "Leon. I just don't want you to get really sick, okay?"

He eyed her suspicously for a moment. Her smile and eyes were gentle but slightly hurt. Yuffie, despite what he said to her, was hardly ever hurt. Atleast, she didn't let on that she was. The fact that Yuffie was worried about him made his heart twinge strangely, and he sighed. He'd felt that way only once before and he never wanted to feel it again. Yuffie was too young. She was still a teenager, still not fully grown up.

And yet that wasn't true. While Yuffie's body was still young enough, he knew her mind was far from that, despite her happy and sometimes childish antics. Yuffie was wise far beyond her years. The same went for him and Cloud. The same for Sora and Riku. The same for Tynan and Shuyin. They were all burdened, all blessed or cursed with the knowledge one didn't hope to have. Deep down, he knew Yuffie's slight immaturity was only a facade. A way of being happy, of dealing. As he dealt by calling himself Leon.

And she'd learned all that the night before. He told her about Rinoa and about his old life. About the person he used to be. What had possesed him to tell her that? He didn't know, nor did he care to think about it. All he remembered was a deep sense of loneliness. A need to reach out to anyone or anything. Yuffie..he supposed..was the closest thing he had to a friend.

_Friend?_

Squall closed his eyes against the voice. He shook his head despite the pain, trying to rid himself of the process he knew was inevitable. Everytime he was sick, everytime he had a fever, his head was filled with the voice of Zell Dincht. His old friend had a _very_ interesting way of thinking things, and it appeared Zell's dellusion liked to make him think like that too.

'_She's not anything else. She's annoying and stubborn. And she's too young_.' He thought fiercely.

_She's not that young._

_'I'm not doing this. I am not doing this.'_

_'C'mon Squall. Havn't you ever even thought about it?'_

He shook his head, bringing his hand up to cover his eyes. All this thinking was making his whole head hurt, which was not an improvement over his already aching body. Quite honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so horrible.

"Squall?"

He peeked at her through the side of his hand. She smiled at the entire sight of him, reaching out to touch his hair and then obviously thinking better of it. Physical touching of any kind between the two of them had been so rare that it seemed odd she felt so affectionate with him now. Shaking her head, she tilted her head at him in question. She wasn't going to force anything.

"Fine, fine." He waved her off and she giggled. "Let's go to Aerith."

They crossed the district slowly. Squall seemed to be completely slumped in everyway, while Yuffie was tense and watching him, as if she expected him to explode. They stopped walking at the exact same time, halfway up the stairs. Squall's eyes flickered, his gaze seemed to unfocus. Yuffie gasped as he fell backwards, reaching out and barely catching hold of his forearms. Squall's greater weight pulled her down with him, and in a last moment of urgency she grabbed hold of the railing, swinging herself against the wall and scrapping the skin off her knees.

Squall landed sprawled out against her legs, and she immediately tugged him up by his shirt to check him for serious injury. What if he had hit his head? But despite the fact that Strong Squall had ultimately fainted, he seemed to have survived his almost-fall down the stairs. Yuffie let out a soft sigh, ignoring the sting in her knees and calming her pounding heart.

Squall murmured in his sleep, his head dropping on to her shoulder. Yuffie stiffined immediately, usued to contact with the Gunblader despite the growing closeness they seemed to be experiencing and the fact she had just spent the night in his arms. She fought the sudden inexplicable blush rising on her cheeks. Two years of fighting for his respect. Another year fighting for his amity. She'd always been starved for his affection, as a mentor and as a friend. And now somehow romantic affection didn't seem as wrong to her as it should have.

"Yuffie?"

She looked down at him, starled and acutely aware of what she'd just been thinking.

His eyes were still closed, his mouth twisted in a worried frown. Carefully, he opened his eyes, dark blue irises peering uncertainly up at her. She felt another warm buzz of affection for him, despite her inner conflict.

"Are you okay?" She asked, quite aware of the answer.

"Mmm.." He closed his eyes. "Yuffie, I think I'm sick."

"Really?" She giggled.

He nodded seriously, and she was now quite aware of how amusing it was to have Squall dellusional. Although, she was quite sure Squall would not appreciate it if she took advantage of him while he was ill. Sighing and shaking her head, she quietly instructed him to turn his tired body so that it lay flat against the stair.

No doubt about it. Her and Squall's relationship was a strange one.

* * *

Shuyin shut the cover on the piano with a quick snap, half gloved hands resting on the top of the instrument as he stared down on it. His hands were freezing despite his half gloves, and aching from the hours he seemed to have been playing. But it didn't matter; he didn't care. Feelings had been so far gone (besides his dreams the rare times he had slept) that it was difficult to explain what he was feeling now. Sadness, pain, regret. And yet his piano playing had always been about the opposite, a way for him to steam and make others happy while doing it. It was a talent that made him complete in the subtle way that Blitzball didn't, a talent that had brought him to her like a gift, bows and all.

He could still remember her smile when he'd first met her. It was stupid really, he'd been forced to participate in some fund-raiser for children by his coach. He played the piano; his appearance was enough to make the children happy, famous Blitzer that he was. He'd always hated his gift for music, ignoring his mother and pursuing in the hot action sport that dominated the World. But then he'd found her, at that musical fund-raiser for children he hadn't wanted to be at in the first place.

_**"You're really gifted." Her voice was always so shy.**_

_**"Thanks." He replied, turning to face her with some surprise. "Its more of a hobby really."**_

_**She smiled at him, not a wooing flirtatious smile like he was used to, but a shy smile full of kindness. He stared at her in some confusion as she sat down on the piano bench beside him, betraying now sign of flutter or gush like almost all of the girls he met. Maybe..she didn't know who he was? He decided that must have been the case, as there was no way such a quiet girl could really be into Blitzball.**_

_**"I'm..." He began, but she held up a hand, interrupting him before he'd begun.**_

_**"I know who you are." She told him, running her hand along the piano keys. "I've seen you play Blitzball. You're really amazing at that, as well. I suppose that's a hobby too?"**_

_**"Uh...no." He flushed, distinctly aware that she was making fun of him. "That I do for a living."**_

_**She giggled softly, and he grinned despite himself, brushing his hand through his hair like he did whenever he was trying to impress a girl. His hand stopped halfway through his hair, his entire body freezing as he realised exactly what he was doing. This girl obviously didn't seem to notice, pushing down on one of the keys and smiling at the high note it created.**_

_**"Well," She said after a moment of silence. "I'd like to ask you a favor."**_

_**He blinked at her in general confusion, tilting his head to the side as he guiltily pulled his hand from his hair. Okay, so she knew who he was and she knew about Blitzball. She obviously wasn't a huge fan of his, so who was he to try and impress her? He settled instead for a shrug, wondering what such a nice girl could possibly need from a guy like him.**_

_**"You play beautifully." She continued, tilting her head back at him. "I wondered...if you'd like to play for me."**_

_**He blinked. "Play...er...Blitzball?"**_

_**She giggled. "No, silly. The piano!"**_

_**"Oh!" He flushed again, feeling increasingly stupid. "Right. Well, I'm not really big on personal entertainment..."**_

_**"I'm a Songstress." She explained. "Not a very big one, I'll give you that. I sing at small gatherings and such..but my agent thinks I need musical back up. Preferably a piano player."**_

_**He watched dumbfounded as she stood, fishing a small card out of her pocket and handing it to him. He took it without question, wondering why he suddenly felt so dumb and charmless. She was looking at him expectantly and it suddenly occured to him that she wanted an answer.**_

_**He cleared his throat. "I'll..uh..think about it."**_

_**"That's my agency." She said softly. "Call me there when you decide. Thank you."**_

_**He watched her leave the small auditorium, Songstress uniform swishing. Again he was filled with the impression that she'd been teasing him the whole time, and he stood up with quick ease despite the fact that he felt clumsier than a gorilla. She turned and gave him a tiny wave as he reached the door, pausing in surprise as he jogged up to her.**_

_**"Hey." He said once he reached her. "You sure you're not just trying to get publicity, you know, by having me as your piano player?"**_

_**She grinned. "That was my full intention. What are you going to do about it?"**_

_**He rolled his eyes, leaning over to stuff the card back in her pocket, keeping his face as close to hers as he could without being slapped. He was rewarded with the look of faint surprise on her face and he grinned mischievously as she began to look nervous.**_

_**"I'd say it's a deal." He whispered, taking a step back from her.**_

_**She eyed him in all his Blitzball playing glory, eyes a little suspicious. Finally, she smiled and stuck out her hand, giggling again as he looked at it with confusion. For a star Blitzer and an amazing pianist, he didn't have much when it came to wits.**_

_**"My name is Lenne." She told him.**_

_**He grinned and took her hand in a surprisingly skilled hold, probably learned from years of meeting coaches and agents.**_

_**"I'm..." He began.**_

_**"I know who you are." She repeated, turning towards the door to leave.**_

_**He reached out and grabbed her arm, whirling her back around and taking her hand in his.**_

_**"I'm Shuyin." He said, looking stubbornly into her face.**_

_**She stared at him incredulously and he grinned.**_

_**It was a start.**_

"Lenne." Shuyin murmured, rubbing his cold hands together. That start had morphed into a friendship and eventually a love. That unpopular, quiet Songstress had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. It was only when she'd been given fame and carried off to war that he realized that fact. And now it was too late.

**'_It does matter, Shuyin. You don't know what happened! She could be alive_!'**

Shuyin swung his legs around the bench, fists clenched as he moved past the many puppies that played on the ground and out into the street. Tynan didn't know anything, the stupid girl. None of them did. And as much as he knew their intentions were good, they would never understand. Lenne was gone.

"Shuyin!"

The young man glanced up, surprised that a voice had managed to lift his gaze from the ground. Yuffie stood on the steps of the Second District, jumping up and down and arms waving wildly in the air. He could see a slumped figure on the step and identified it as Leon. He was quite aware that the two of them hardly went anywhere without eachother anymore, except for the loud and quarrelsome times when the fought.

Stuffing his cold hands in his pockets, he eyed the unconscious Leon with mild interest, bright eyes moving to land questioningly on a clearly distressed Ninja.

"He's got the flu or something!" Yuffie was telling him. "He threw up a bunch of times and he was really weak and then suddenly **BAM!** He keels over. I think he's alright, but he refuses to move when I manage to wake him up. I'm not strong enough to carry him!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Shuyin asked calmly, stepping out of the way as she paced up and down the steps. "I'm not really a healer."

"C'mon Shu! You've got muscles. Can you help me carry him?"

'_Shu?_' He thought, sizing Squall up and comparing him to his own strength. '_That's new._'

"I guess so." He bent down, taking hold up Squall's arm and heaving the dead weight over his shoulder. Yuffie quickly helped lift his other side. "As long as you don't call me _Shu_."

"Oh no." Yuffie smiled kindly at him. "You're not going to pull a Leon, are you?"

Shuyin pushed open the door of the Hotel, ignoring her teasing and aware of the fact that this was the first human interaction he'd had with someone his own age in a long time. Yuffie was busy trying to keep the Gunblade from going off when he glanced at her, shaking his head at her antics and reminded strangely of his young and crazy cousin. The thought pulled powerfully on his heart, much like playing the piano had. He shook his head.

"Shuyin's fine." He informed her, resisting to groan under Leon's weight. "Just Shuyin."

* * *

Tynan! Check this out!"

Tynan tilted her head from watching the sky. Despite the excitement in the voice that called her away, she found in difficult to draw her eyes away from the stars. The power had gone out less than an hour ago, leaving Tynan and Riku stranded outside, accompanied by Sora. They hadn't dealt with darkness since they'd come to Traverse, always making sure to be in some form of light. Fear had been a major part of it, followed by the joy of simply being in light once again.

They hadn't been prepared. The darkness had slowly created panic, their bodies had reacted instinctively, and Aerith had made quick work of sending them out to the stars, which offered them a pathetic amount of light if nothing else. Shivering at the feeling that darkness had caused in her, she pulled her sleeping bag tighter around her body.

"Come on, Ty! Look!"

She shifted her gaze to the Keyblade master, eyes twinkling if only to amuse him. Sora lifted the Keyblade into the air, twirling it around in an intricate pattern. Slowly, the drip of water that had been tumbling from the roof, draining the water since the storm had finished, froze. Tynan grinned, shoving her sleeping bag past her knees and standing. She crossed the small distance of the Red Room balcony, careful to step over Riku.

"Neat, Sora." She told him, taking a frozen droplet in her hand. Almost instantly, it spattered into her hand. The time spell stopped, and that water continued to drip to the ground.

"You've never seen a Time spell before?" he asked curiously.

She shook her head. "My magic experience is virtually nil."

"That's odd." Riku stated, sitting up. "For someone involved in the dark."

Sora looked sharply at Riku, who shrugged his gaze off and continued to stare hard at Tynan. She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes back on the stars and seemingly unfazed by his question. Riku stood and sat down on the railing beside Sora, and Tynan was suddenly struck by what an odd pair they were. Opposites but co-dependent. She knew there was _some_ form of hope in the universe if a friendship could survive the ordeal that theirs had. She couldn't help but feel jealous of their closeness. Everything they had all been through, and still she had no one.

She shrugged. "I didn't need magic for what I was doing."

Riku didn't relent. "What did you do?"

She turned around to stare at him oddly. She wouldn't have expected him of all people to ask such a question. Sora maybe, but not untalkative Riku. He told nothing and wished to learn nothing. It was that self-possession that made him so annoying at times. But now he was leaning back and looking at her with interest, eyes glinting in amusement and mouth tilting upwards. There was something cruel about the way he was looking at her, and the warmth she'd felt for him only a few hours before when he'd touched her hand vanished. Why was he so inconsistent when it came to his moods? It made her quite certain that she would have been perfectly happy to push him off the balcony.

"Nothing." She turned her back, settling back into her sleeping bag and facing away.

"Come on." He leaned forward. "We're all _friends_ here."

"Sod off, Riku." She said unkindly. "Mind your business."

"You know our story." He jumped off the railing. "Its only fair we know yours."

"Leave it, Riku." This protest, surprisngly, was from Sora. "Pasts are scary things to talk about. Believe me, I know. Just let her be for now. She'll tell us when she wants."

Riku snorted and turned away. "The past is a fear people need to get over."

"Big words coming from you." Tynan was sitting up and glaring. "Someone who wouldn't even speak to any of us for months. Did it ever occur to you that I don't _want _to tell you my past? Don't act like your better than us because you were _supposed _to be the Keyblade master."

Riku whirled at her in anger. "_What_ did you say?"

"You heard me." She hissed. "Mr-high-and-mighty."

There wasn't much room for them to cross as they flew at eachother. Sora, who had been watching in silent shock at the angry exchange stepped in just in time before any violence could occur. He'd never seen Riku react so strongly to verbal abuse before, nor had he any idea that Riku still felt so strongly about the Keyblade. Tynan was always so calm and collected; Sora didn't think he'd ever seen her angry let alone heard her shout. They were so angry over such a small thing. What were they even fighting about?

"Guys!" He stood in between them and watched as they glared at eachother over his shoulder. "Get a grip!"

He glared at each of them sternly until they visibly calmed. Tynan sighed and turned away, lying back down and resting her head on her arms. Riku glared at her for a few moments longer, letting out an aggrivated grunt and swinging his legs over the balcony again. Sora stood in the middle of the silence, alert and very confused. He thought they were friends..they'd always acted like it anyway. (Especially when they teamed up together to dump ice water on him while he slept.) They'd been through the unimaginable worst together. Still, there were those times he'd seen them talking and hadn't been able to sense what was going on. Maybe they weren't as friendly as he'd originally thought.

Fortunately, he was saved from sitting in awkward and angry silence when the door opened to reveal a very amused Cloud. The blond soldier didn't seem to notice the tense air, stepping out on the balcony and patting Sora on the shoulder.

"Leon has the flu." He told them, revealing the reason for his amusement. "Aerith's taking care of him now, but she doesn't want you lot sick so I'm taking you out for your own clothes."

"Clothes with Cloud." Sora rolled his eyes. "Spare me."

"You've been wearing my clothes ever since you got here." Cloud slapped the back of his head. "I'm not sure if I want them back. But you need your own."

He glanced at Riku's turned back and down at Tynan, who had rolled over to listen.

"Get this stuff cleaned up." He turned away. "We're going shopping."

* * *

Ooh, I apologize deeply for this chapter. 

I know it wasn't that great, but I needed to get this up so I could get this story flowing again. I had a million different ideas for this chapter, and none of them seemed to fit. I have a whole file of this chapter written and rewritten and finally I managed to come up with this. But, on a better note, this chapter has probably attracted my muse because I have a clear view of where this story is going in my head now.

Please review! Sorry again for the confusing/non-romanticness of this chapter. Hopefully, since my writing has been unblocked, the next chapter will be better!


	6. Peace

"Sea Salts to Heal."

Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING, I tell you. But I do own Tynan and all of her clothing. But I do now own Riku. Sadly. Or the Keyblade. Oh well.

A/N: Woot! An update! I lied. Its up sometime THIS week..not next week..

No shout outs, cause I want to get this up as soon as possible. But thank you ALL for reviewing and I love you all and you all get a plushie of your choice.

Please enjoy!

* * *

There was a point, each day, where Traverse Town became one with itself. No one wandered the streets or worked in their shops. All lights were turned off except for the stars. Normally, this would be an insane opportunity for Heartless to strike. But since the Heartless were gone, the people of Traverse slept peacefully. Their breaths; breathing in unison and creating a wave of calm over the world. Peaceful slumber.

But not for everyone....

_Oh my life is changing everyday  
Every possible way  
Though my dreams, it's never quite as it seems  
Never quite as it seems_

* * *

_The house was completely silent. Not ever a tick of a clock or a shuffling of mice could be heard. It was silent but it was never peaceful. The calm before the devastating storm. Six pairs of eyes and ears waited with baited breath for that break in the calm, the point where their day would come crashing down. Some were angry and some were terrified. But the silence continued, buzzing like angry bees as if it knew what was to come._

_Twelve-year old Tynan put her face into her knees, face flushed and stomach fluttering with fear. She could feel her heart pounding in her entire body. Unconciously, her injuries began to sting again even if they had long since healed. Maybe because she had irritated them by shifting so. Or maybe because they knew what was in store for her._

_A gentle hand gripped her neck, pulling her face out of her neck and turning it up to face her intruder. An old, wrinkling woman smiled down at her, brushing her hair back from her face. Tynan gave a stuttering smile, tilting her head forward to drop her hair back in her face. As if she could hide from her fear behind her hair. As if she could hide the colour of her skin._

"_You mustn't do that." The old woman said gently. "Your fear will increase your pain."_

"_Doesn't matter." Tynan said, in thickly accented Common. (1) "pain will come, no matter what I do."_

"_That man." The old woman, Creesha, said fiercely. "That evil man, lives off fear."_

"_Doesn't matter." She said again. "Being fearless will not change my skin colour. He will not hate me less."_

_It had been nearly four years since the day she and her family had been taken from their country home. War had been around all her life, and hundreds of years before that. She should have expected it. The People had always been cruel to the people of her skin colour. Humans with white skin were rare and as far as the People were concerned, a mistake of nature. They considered a whole race of White-Skinners to be a large threat, and War had broken out nearly two centuries ago. The People were doing a good job of eliminating them, but she'd never suspected that they would attack her country home. But attack they had; Her parents and oldest brother had been taken away and probably killed. She and her younger brothers and sister had been sold as slaves to the man she had called Master for a large amount of time._

_Master was a horrible man. They couldn't have lucked out and been sold to someone who was only buying slaves to free them. Tynan and her brothers worked at his farm all day, until they were tired enough to faint. And even then, when Master came home, he took his anger and frustration out on them. Her injuries gave another twinge._

"_I can't stand this much longer." She said in her own language, running her hands through her matted hair. "I'm bound to lose my sanity."_

"_He will pay." Creesha said sadly, standing from Tynan's cot and watching as the young girl shrunk into herself again. "Somehow, he will pay for what he has done."_

"_I hope so." She said in common, feeling the oddness of speaking in such a plat tongue. "I hope you're right. For my siblings sake. I don't much care about myself anymore."_

_Tynan sobbed angrily into her knees, cradling her bleeding hand to her chest and trying to block out the sobs of her five year old brother and the yells of her Master. The oldest of her brothers climbed on to the cot beside her, blond hair mixing with hers as he bent protectively around her. She could feel the room throbbing, feel the wild anger mounting inside her. Yet she couldn't release it, couldn't do anything with it._

"_Freedom of mind." Her brother whispered to her. "Freedom of anger."_

"_I can't." She sobbed. "I can't do this any longer. He is going to kill him this time!"_

"_You must escape." He whispered, shaking her when she began to argue. "Listen! You are the fastest of all of us. There are refugee camps across the lake. People who will help us. You must bring them here."_

"_I couldn't!" She gasped. "I could never leave you!"_

"_I'm the oldest." He said sternly. "This is an order. You must do this to save us. Tomorrow, when we're out in the fields, you must cut through the neighboring farmyard. The farmer's son will be watching for you. If you cut through the forest, facing east, you'll eventually reach a road. Cut through the bush on the left side and you'll reach the lake. You must find a way to get across."_

"_Others have tried to escape through neighbouring feilds!" She argued weakly. "It never works! The penalty for attempted escape is death!"_

"_It _has_ worked before." he replied. "And there was never a refugee camp before."_

"_How long have you been planning this?" She asked incredulously _

_He smiled. "The farmer's son next door has been giving me information for the past few months. The gray cross only recently set up camp across the lake. Its our only chance."_

_She sobbed harder, clutching to her brother as hard as she could. He had been so strong through all of this, closest to her out of all her siblings. He was watching her sadly, pushing her towards the small door that lead to the only room where they could hide from their master, for it was a tiny closet room he did not know about. She struggled against him, trying to push against his greater strength. But she could hear her youngest brother crying, she could hear her Master storming. And the love and faith in her brother's eyes told her he would never make her do something he didn't think was right._

_The gate cut her stomach as she struggled to climb over it the next day, weak from the day's work and from general malnutrition. Her brother's bulk blocked the view of the other slave, his eyes sad as he boosted her over the gate. _

"_I love you." She whispered, dropping to the other side of the fence on shaky legs. "I'll come back."_

"_I know you will." He said, all serious. "Run fast and hard. Don't be afraid."_

_And so she ran fast and hard. She could almost hear the pounding of footsteps or hooves behind her. She ran blindly, without any sense of direction, twigs cutting her face as she ran and fighting though waist deep mud. She was tired, she couldn't breath. But she couldn't stop. She knew her Master would take this out on her brother. She was running for minutes, hours, days or weeks. She couldn't tell but she never stopped._

_Joy filled her heart when she finally reached the lake. Her brother had said that the refugee camp was only across. But where could she get a boat? She cut through the bush with as much energy she could muster, fighting the urge to lie down and close her eyes. Only anger and desperation fueled her movements, but that flame died the moment she reached the shore._

_The camp, the refugee house, was burning to the ground._

_She stood in shock for a long moment, watching the flames dance over the water. She fell back onto the sand, staring at the fire with dull disappointment. She couldn't feel much anymore, only the crusted mud on her legs. Her breathing was calm, as if this was all just a misunderstanding. A mosquito landed on her muddy leg, pricking her and drawing blood. It was the last straw._

_She screamed. She yelled her lungs out into the air and it echoed across the lake, through the trees. It was a howl, a pure sound of anguish and devastation. It was pain and sadness, a demon she had never been allowed to let out. Mourning for her parents and brother, hate for her Master, and the need to forgive herself for the colour of her skin. She screamed until she had no voice left, her throat was throbbing with the rest of her body. Her energy was now completely gone. It would have been a good time to cry. But she didn't. She sat up straight and started without emotion at the fire across the lake._

"**So you're the new girl."**

"Yeah. I'm the new girl."

"**Maleficent told me she found you screaming your lungs out."**

"I was a little angry."

"**So it would seem."**

"You gonna teach me the _dark powers_ deal or what?"

"**Of course. Any particular world you'd like to practice it on?"**

_Fourteen year old Tynan didn't smirk like everyone expected her to. She continued to stare straight ahead, eyes dull and unfeeling, as if she were bored with everything around her. She turned her eyes to her new teacher, blinking slowly at him as if she had just realized he was speaking to her._

"Yeah." She said. "yeah, I've got a perfect little world for me to practice on."

* * *

Tynan wrenched herself up into a sitting position. Her blankets were tangled around her legs, probably from all the running she had acted out from her dream. She could feel the tears and the sweat, feel that horrible dull feeling for a moment in her heart. Her eyes prickled, but she couldn't cry. She rubbed her arms against the silk of her new pyjamas, eyeing the shopping bags at the foot of her bed. A glance to her side told her that Shuyin was actually sleeping for once, blond bangs falling across a rarely peaceful face. She dare not disturb him.

She lay in her bed for a long time but that prickly feeling wouldn't go away. Horrible memories were replayed in front of her eyes, and she jerked to the door and was out in the hall before she could even untangle her blankets. Fear pounded in her heart, and she was suddenly bitter about the fact that she had an antisocial roommate. She couldn't go into the Green Room since Squall was in quarantine. She refused to go into the Red Room; Cloud and Aerith had done so much for her already. That left one room, one she was reluctant about entering. But she didn't have any other choice, not if she were going to get anymore sleep that night.

She crept slowly into the room, careful not to step on the floorboards she knew would creak. Only a tiny bit of moonlight escaped through the window curtains, just enough to guide her through the room without tripping on loose clothing or something like that. The bed was a large shadow in the far corner, a sliver of silver light just barely reaching the coverlet. Tynan stood at the end of the bed, blocking that light out.

Riku and Sora were opposites even in sleep. They slept in the exact same position, but opposite to each other so that they formed a symmetrical shape. Only Riku was sleeping in a serene and calm way, while Sora drooled with his mouth wide open. They were such an odd pair. It made her smile a little.

She sat down gently on their bed, fearing that they would wake up. She watched them sleep for a long time, finally realizing that she was acting like a stalker. In a last, spiteful move against the boy she was feeling slightly annoyed with, she tugged Riku's blanket off his body and pulled it over herself. She didn't know what she would tell him in the morning. It was odd, she thought, as she lulled herself into sleep. Sora was her savior and Riku was the main reason of her troubles. Sora had saved her from the darkness, saved everyone from the darkness. Riku had pulled her deeper into the darkness, and almost caused everyone complete destruction. And yet she felt nothing but safe. Sleeping at the foot of the bed of the two people with the most destructive power in the worlds.

Safe, warm and protected. The prickling in her eyes increased until it was soothed with the gentle flow of water. Sora's soft snoring filled her ears and Riku's blanket smelled just like him. For the first time in six years, she began to cry.

Riku eyes' blinked open at the sound, shifting his head to eye to girl at the end of his bed. She held his blanket close to her eyes, shoulders shaking as she sobbed into the material. His heart wrenched strangely, hating the sight of such a cool and strong person crying so dreadfully. He sat up completely, eyeing her sadly when she looked up in feared surprise.

"R-riku!" She gasped, trying to wipe away the steady flow of tears and failing.

"You're crying." He stated the obvious, checking to make sure Sora was still asleep.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, and Riku frowned at the sudden accent in her voice. "I'll leave."

"No." He said forcefully, as she scrambled to get up. She stilled like a deer being hunted, gazing at him with tears still falling. His heart wrenched again at her obvious lack of control. "Come here."

She gave no hesitation in crawling into his arms. Something he took great happiness in, since he had just put a lot of his pride on the line. Her tears ran down his neck and into the collar of his shirt. But he continued to hold her as she sobbed, mindless of his clothes. Mindless of his anger towards her, mindless of Sora's snores which were growing in volume. He held her closely by the waist, relished in comforting and protecting someone. It had been a very long time.

"You're okay." He said softly, rubbing her back uncomfortably.

She pulled back, shoulders still shifting as she struggled to grain control of herself.

"Y-you're not mad?" She asked cautiously.

Riku frowned. It had been quite awhile since he'd heard Tynan talk in her accent, something she had learned to cover up. He'd had no idea that she still had the accent at all. Normally, she would have lost it by now. It would seem she still wasn't telling him the complete truth. Unless her tears had been brought by a nightmare. He'd heard that accents could return to people if they were frightened about their past and had dreams about it. He didn't really care to ask.

"I'm still mad." He said grudgingly, shifting himself into a lying position.

"Oh." She frowned thoughtfully. "You can have your blanket back."

"Shut up." He muttered, shoving her away. "Go to bed."

She sighed, raising her hands in defeat and shifting so that she was lying on top of both his and Sora's legs. She was asleep faster than Riku had ever seen anyone fall asleep. Even Sora. He watched her for a moment, realizing he had never found out why she was crying. Then he realized he was acting like a stalker, closed his eyes and went to sleep himself.

Somehow, it didn't seem to matter anymore.

* * *

Squall knew he was in trouble when he opened his eyes and Yuffie was glaring down at him. It wasn't an unusually sight, but he hadn't done anything wrong lately that he could think of. Yet Yuffie was standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed over her chest and eyes glaring fiercely at him. Had he said something in his sleep? Was she still angry at him about earlier?

"And just who have you been exchanging saliva with?" She demanded, pointing at him.

He blinked slowly, trying to process this information. His thoughts seemed to coming slower then usual, taking a moment to become complete. The lights were bright, he hurt all over and he didn't really feel much like thinking right now. Especially when Yuffie was sputtering nonsense.

"What are you talking about?" He muttered, squinting at her.

"Mononucleosis." She growled dangerously. "Is what you have been diagnosed with from Docter Aerith. The kissing disease, Squall Leonhart! Who have you been kissing?"

"Not kissing anyone." He muttered, turning his face into his pillow. "No kissing."

"Don't you fall asleep on me!" She shouted, and he jerked awake again. "I want answers!"

Aerith shook her head when she walked into the room, carrying a bottle of pills and a small glass of water. She paused to place a hand on Yuffie's shoulder, kneeling down beside the bed and bringing Squall up to a sitting position. His brow furrowed, but he didn't argue, opening his eyes only a little to take the pill she was handing him.

"Kissing's only one way you can catch mono, Yuf." She explained gently. "You can get it from sharing a glass. Or even a fork."

"Oh." Yuffie seemed to relax, bustling over to the other side of the bed and taking the glass from Squall's weak hold. It was disturbing to see Squall so weak like this, accepting help and hardly able to keep his eyes open. It scared her really. What if Squall never got his strength back? "That's okay then."

Aerith giggled. "Its not that bad. He's actually quite lucky. He has a very mild case of it. He'll only have to stay in bed a few weeks."

Squall opened his eyes with just enough energy to grimace angrily in her direction. Aerith smiled cheekily, bending down to swipe a piece of hair from his forehead just to annoy him. Squall exhaled shakily, shifting his body and turning his head away from her. Aerith shrugged, winking at the distressed Ninja across the room from her and making her exit.

Yuffie sat on the bed. "I didn't really care if you were kissing anyone."

Squall grunted, feeling the edges of unconsciousness pulling at his brain.

"This is pretty good actually." Yuffie chirped on, happily moving Squall's arm so that she could lie down on her side of the bed. "I'll be able to play nurse to you all week!"

Squall's closed eyes flinched as he grimaced in confusion. He thought about this. Yuffie would be positively the most annoying nurse that could ever exist. He had no wish to be talked to and annoyed when his head was feeling this foggy. And yet...

An image of Yuffie dressed in a skimpy nurses outfit, maniacal grin in place as she lifted a gigantic needle and gave it a little squirt assaulted his brain. Yuffie flinched and jumped away from him as laughter in its truest form burst from his lips. The young ninja stared in horror as the stoic warrior cackled loudly into the room, face split wide with mirth, although he was too tired to open his eyes. She waited until it died down and he appeared calm before she checked to see if his fever had given him brain damage.

"Are you okay?" She asked timidly, confused beyond her wits.

"I'm fine." He said lightly, turning his face into his pillow and sighing tiredly. "Now stop talking and let me get some sleep."

Yuffie blinked, completely out of sorts as she settled back into her pillows. He _looked_ like the normal Squall. He _slept_ like the normal Squall. But never, in any of the years she had known him, had Yuffie _ever_ heard Squall laugh quite like that. Maybe a fever really had fried his brain.

She smiled to herself. Fried brain or not. It was good to hear Squall laugh.

"I was really worried about you, Squall." She whispered, turning her face to his.

He exhaled again, his lips twitching slightly. "Nothing to worry about, kid."

She stared at him in horror once again. The clock above their heads ticked once...twice...

"And its Leon."

Yuffie let out a breath of relief.

His brain wasn't _completely_ fried.

* * *

Cloud Strife perched himself on the window sill of his bedroom, watching the empty streets below. He wondered what Traverse must have looked like before he had come. If he had been sitting here, just like this, would he have seen an army of Heartless casually strolling below as if they were mere occupants of the city? Would he have been forced to run into the street and fight?

Something deep inside him wanted just that…something …anything to happen so that he could find some way to deal with emotions he couldn't quite explain. Confusion...anger...some happiness that had somehow managed to sneak its way into his life when he knew he didn't deserve it.

It had never really occured to him before. He had found Aerith finally and that was all the seemed to matter. But being alone for a whole day with three teenagers was enough to open his eyes to the reality around him. He'd seen people their age around the district, talking happily and smiling. But not these three. Tynan, Riku and Sora had forgotten what it was like to have that much fun. It had been so long, and they were already loosing the elation of youth. They weren't even seventeen.

These were three people who had sacrificed more then he could imagine. People who had been through so much more than himself. And they were still so young. Didn't they deserve to be happy? He didn't deserve any happiness at all for what he had done. There were people everywhere who deserved happiness, but couldn't find any. And here he was...

_'Oh, get over yourself.' _

Cloud narrowed his eyes at the detailed pathway below. He refused to turn around and face the voice that mocked and taunted him into seeing common sense. He hated it when that voice made him see his own faults, and he always had. Annoying, medeling, overconfident. Tifa stood in the doorway of his room, glaring holes in his back.

_'Don't ignore me.' She said, crossing the room on soundless footsteps. 'I will not be ignored.'_

"Currently in the process of ignoring you." He replied.

_'Oh, poor Cloudy-boy.' She whined. 'So misunderstood. No one to talk to.'_

"No one to talk to but the memory of my dead best friend." He added, crossing his arms as goose bumps rose on his arms. "And don't call me Cloudy-boy."

_Tifa shrugged. "Its not _my_ fault if your parents doomed you with a name that would ultimately be made fun of."_

Cloud smiled. "Yes, it is. Its _always_ your fault."

_She gasped. "I'm deeply wounded by your words, Sir Strife." She laughed. "I heard you smile. Turn around and bestow your pretty eyes upon my beautiful pale skin."_

Cloud remained silent for a long time before the grin on Tifa's face began to fade. She avoided a pair of quickly discarded pants with a grand face of disgust, trying to stay as far away from his underwear as possible. She rested her hand on his shoulder once she was close enough behind him, missing the goosebumbs that soon spread to the blond's neck.

_"What are you so afraid of?" She asked, unsure if he would answer._

"Nothing." He grunted, rubbing his arms uncomfortably.

_"Bull." She hissed. "You may be able to fool Aerith with your macho act, but you'll never be able to get past me. I know you've got something about hiding your face all the time. But you've never hidden it from me and that shouldn't have to start now because I'm...."_

"Dead?" Cloud finished for her. "Because you're dead?"

_"Is that what this is about Cloud? You're afraid of me because I'm _haunting_ you?"_

"No.." He sighed. "That's not it."

_She tilted her head in confusion, watching sadly as his head tipped forward and he rested his forehead against the glass of his window. Cloud had never been this obsessed with hiding his feelings...not before he had lost his memory from an unfortunate encounter with the Heartless. But his amnesia had given him a new ambition, given his world a new protector, and it had brought him to Aerith..._

_"Then what is it?" She asked softly._

He hesitated. "I know that if I turn around that you won't be real. At least if I face this way, I can pretend."

_Her hand clutched tightly at his shoulder, although she knew he couldn't feel it._

_"I _am_ real." She whispered brokenly. "Memories are all you have. They're all anyone who has lost someone can rely on. I can't get much more real than this."_

"Huh." He murmured. "And I thought it was because I'm crazy."

_She grinned. "Well, that's a large part of it too."_

He sighed, reaching his own hand up to touch hers. His fingers touched nothing but his shoulder, and his heart skipped a beat as soon as he felt the rough material of his shirt beneath his skin. She wasn't there..she would never be there. She was dead..and he was crazy...

_"Just turn around, Cloud." Tifa said impatiently. "Stop being such a baby."_

"That's right, Tif." He growled sarcastically. "Keep the praises coming."

"_Oh my god." Sh_e _rolled her eyes. "Are you pregnant?"_

"Yes." He replied, rolling his own. "I should have used protection. But I've sure learned my lesson. Now go away."

"_Well, you're acting like it." She sighed in frustration. "You're harnessing _some_ kind of female reproduction system effect. But I didn't comehere to give you that sort of education."_

"Lucky me." He muttered.

"_Sarcasm not appreciated!" She cried, throwing her arms into the air. She crossed the room again, careful to avoid all traces of his underwear and sat on the bed, her transparent body going right through the shopping bags that rested there. She payed them no mind. "I'm here to psychologify you. Your aura just_ screams_ 'I need professional help.'"_

"I don't need psycholigification." He muttered, and then turned around quickly to make a face at her. "Psychologify isn't even a word!"

_Her slow grin told him exactly what he had done. Tifa shifted back on to his bed, resting her head unconciously on Aerith's pillow. _

Cloud, however, noticed this. He made a low noise in his throat, eyeing the ghostly image of his best friend with the most torn expression _Tifa_ had ever seen. He watched her frown, before her expression cleared and she attempted to lighten the mood again.

"_There now." She smiled fondly. "Now I can see your pretty face."_

"Please leave, Tifa." He whispered brokenly. "Just go."

"_Hey, Mister." She sat up and narrowed her eyebrows. "I am dead. You should be flowering me with poems and such. Not sending me away."_

_His expression darkened and she rolled her eyes_. "_Lighten up!"_

"Its not funny!" He cried, picking up the windowsill pillow and throwing it at her with full strength. It cut directly through her stomach, leaving a whispy trail in its wake and an unpleasant grimace on Tifa' face. The grin had faded. Her expression was completely serious.

"_I won't leave until you truly want me to." She said softly. "That's sort of how memories work."_

"This isn't a memory." He muttered, turning away. "It's a hallucination."

"_So You Think You're Going Crazy." She said. "I think I read that once. Oh, and there's also a great companion book entitled So You Think You're Feeling Guilty."_

"Tifa." He sighed. "Why won't you go?"

_She eyed him sadly. "Because I love you. And I want to make sure you don't make the same mistake twice. I know what will happen now. You'll start to think too much, you'll get paranoid, and you'll distance yourself from everyone who loves you because you think that's what is best."_

_He remained silent, and she took that as a sign she could continue._

"_You're feeling bad about yourself because you took the easy way out. Darkness always felt more powerful to you. What better way to find Aerith then side with those who had the most power? You don't think straight, Cloud. You've got that banged up brain of yours. But...if giving up everything you believe in to find a girl isn't love...I don't know what is."_

"I just made it harder for them" He muttered, refering to Aerith, his friends, the children, the people of Traverse. "I made it possible for more stars to go out...for more worlds to be lost."

"_You need to get over yourself!" She said, for the second time. "You think you're feeling guilty? Imagine how Riku and Tynan and Shuyin must feel! You weren't all that important in the grand scheme of things, you know."_

He sighed, not even wanting to know how she knew about any of those people. Tifa got up from the bed again, walking over to stand in front of him and look directly into his face.

"_So you were Hades' lackie." She whispered softly, capturing his gaze. "So you got in Sora's way a few times. Sora has forgiven you. He forgave you the instant he saw how lost you were. That child has a sixth sense and you know it. If Sora has forgiven you, Yuffie, Squall, and especially Aerith have forgiven you...why can't you forgive yourself?"_

"Because I'm an idiot." He whispered, giving her a small smile. "And pregnant."

"_There's my boy." She grinned, ghost lips reaching up and brushing his cheek. "I know it will take awhile. But for now you need to enjoy the fact that you have Aerith. Use the time that you've been given with her. You owe that to the people who will never get that time with the people they love ever again."_

He leaned foward, so that if she had been solid, he could have rested his forehead against hers. Tifa smiled, reaching up to toy with his bangs. They stayed like that for a moment in time, a time when Tifa became a little more real, instead of a figment of Cloud's memory.

"Why are you so smart?" He muttered, as if he were annoyed with this fact.

"_Oh, it comes naturally." She smiled, stepping back from him. "You'll need to learn how to be so smart over time."_

He sighed and shook his head. "I..I love you."

_Tifa smiled sadly. "I know. But you love_ her_ more. So you'll need to whip your butt into shape and start paying attention to her instead of being sad for me because I'm dead. You were given the chance to live for a reason. Now use it, or I'll kick your ass."_

He nodded. "Yes, sir!"

_She rolled her eyes and smiled, and their eyes met before a loud bang startled Cloud out of his reverie. Tifa watched with another sad smile as he turned towards the sound, and she slowly dissapeared into the wall. Cloud, strangely enough, didn't even notice._

Aerith was muttering incessantly about her day and the horrors of being able to do healing magic and the really annoying pain she had in her lower back. Cloud watched her storm around the room from beneath his coat, sparkling eyes on every small movement she made. Aerith rambled past him with her hands flailing wildly in the air, and it took only a second for Cloud to grab her by the waist and pull her close. Aerith made a tiny squeak, her chatter dying as her lover buried his face in the loose hair falling from her braids.

"Cloud?" She murmured softly, wrapping her tiny arms around his shoulders. "You okay?"

"You won't leave me." He whispered, lips drifting over her ears. "Will you?"

She blinked at his odd behavior, pulling back from his embrace and holding him by the shoulders so she could peer into his face. He didn't _seem_ to have a fever. Something in his eyes sparked, and Aerith gasped as the shutters that had forever guarded his soul fell apart. She bit her lip, pulling him foward by the coat and touching her nose to his, closing her eyes as she did.

"Never." She whispered fiercely. "I could _never_ leave you."

"Good." He murmured, brushing his lips against hers once, and then again. Her hands rose up to play with the stubborn curls of hair at the nape of his neck, and he bent to place a soft kiss on the nape of hers. Then, he pulled away, reaching down and taking her hands in his.

"Come on." He said with a smile, pulling her towards the door. "I'm taking you out."

She narrowed her eyebrows as she was pulled towards the door. "Where?"

"You'll see." He promised, smiling down at her pout of confusion. He kissed it away, tightening his hand around hers. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too."

_Tifa's memory tucked herself away in a special corner of his heart, a compartment all to herself. It was always left unlocked. Although she had the feeling that Cloud would not be digging through his heart to find her for quite awhile. He had more important things to do._

_But she would still be there. Always. _

* * *

Shuyin shifted his shoulders as the light flickered on in the Second District. Another day in Traverse Town had begun. Soon the streets would be filled with people. That was okay. Atleast he didn't have a headache today. He'd finally been able to sleep that night, without nightmares, without thoughts. Just a mindless dream, floating on the breaths of the Town's people.

A flyer unstuck itself from the wall on his left side, floating on the wind and finally sticking itself in his hair. He grimaced, pulling it out of his blond strands and glaring at the piece of paper that dare ruin his day. His expression cleared immediately as he read its contents.

_CALLING ALL CHAMPIONS!_

_THIS WEEKEND WILL BE THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME!_

_YOUR CHANCE TO GET NOTICED!_

_YOU CHANCE TO BE A REAL CHAMPION!_

_THIS WEEKEND WE ARE HOLDING TRAVERSE TOWN'S..._

_**FIRST ANNUAL FIGHTING COMPETITION!**_

_FOR SIGN UP AND FULL CONTEST DETAILS:_

_SEE THE ACCESSORY SHOP!_

So the old man was up to his tricks again...

_This_ would be interesting....

* * *

WOO! THREE CHEERS FOR ME!

_recieves nothing but dull looks_

Oh well. I'm SORRY SORRY SORRY for the long wait, and you've probably all forgotten about me. But I got distracted off this story, and I've been SO busy...and this chapter had complications after it had finally been written. Anyway, feel free to...um...throw...left-over halloween candy at me!

I love you all and I hoped you liked it! Please review!


	7. Wax

"Sea Salts to Heal."

Disclaimer: Blllleeeeeeeeh. I don't own em.

Shout outs:

Annjirika: Thankyouness! I like adorabibbleness. Heh! Originally, he just had the Flu but...I thought Mono was a lot more entertaining.

Deplora: 0o....a make-out party? What could she have possibly been thinking? Oh well...she learned a lesson I suppose...that would amuse me greatly.

Zarrel's Darkside: _runs away from mob_ There's more Squffie in this one! I SWEAR! _cowers under computer desk_

Last Exile: _beams_ Thank you! That really means a lot to me, y'know. Since I'm super self conscious about my stupid writing.

Iris: You win best review of the chapter award! Don't worry, I only recently started writing in this style...you should read some of my older stuff 0o ...its definitely not review worthy. I lurve you! I would be a writer if I could.

Sephy plushies for EVERYONE!

And ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

Shuyin swiped his flaxen hair out of his eyes for the sole purpose of glaring at the young woman across the room. Yuffie had been yelling and storming ever since he had shown her the advertisement; almost to the point where he wished he had kept the information to himself. Aerith looked distraught at the young ninja's anger while Cloud looked almost as annoyed as Shuyin felt. The three young teens sat side by side on the Red Room's bed, watching Yuffie with curiosity. He was sure he was not the only one who's ears were about to fall off.

"Would you shut up?" He growled, a flare of his old impatience burning in his stomach.

Yuffie returned his glare with equal force. "Shut up yourself, _wax boy!"_

Riku raised an eyebrow with apparent interest. "Wax boy?"

Shuyin grunted, turning his eyes back to the window in which he constantly stared out of. Yuffie stared at the back of his head very heatedly for a long moment, before she turned back to the paper in her hands and stared at it in fury. Aerith sighed.

Sora tilted his head. "Wax boy?"

"A fighting competition?" Yuffie continued to rage, shaking the piece of paper in question as she stomped around the hotel room. Her friends sighed. "Is Cid nuts? What was he thinking?"

"We already told you what we thought he was thinking." Cloud sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Yeah but..." She pouted. "I'm not feeling your mutual sentiments!"

"I don't think its such a bad idea, Yuf." Sora said, his voice calm as he snatched the paper from her trembling hands. "It will give us something to do, at any rate."

"You don't understand, Sora!" She snapped, sitting down on a small wooden chair in the corner of the Red Room. "You've only been here for a few months! The people here were all devastated by war and battle. Do you really think that the first thing they want to do now that the war is over is fight?"

Sora stared at her. It took a few moments of silence before Yuffie realized what she had said. She seemed to deflate a little after a moment and offered Sora a small apologetic smile.

"Sorry, buddy." She murmured. "Of course you understand."

He shrugged. "I'm not angry. I was just trying to make you see your own stupidity."

Riku groaned silently, his head tilted now as he tried to see exactly what made Shuyin waxy. When had Sora become so difficult to offend? Hurting Sora probably would have piped Yuffie down a bit...

"It's not like its mandatory." Tynan piped in with interest. "The Townsman won't be forced to join or to watch if they don't want to."

Yuffie opened and closed her mouth like a fish for a while before she realized there was nothing really she could say. If she was the only one against the idea of having a battling tournament, what more could she do? It was up to the people who lived in the Town to stand up for themselves now.

Cloud and Aerith grinned in her direction as her expression closed, and she spun from the room and hurried into her own with a small huff. Shuyin looked away from the window at the sound of her door closing, and an expression of such relief on his face made Aerith giggle, since Shuyin was rarely expressive. Then again....she didn't know him that well...

"Waxy?" Riku turned to look at Sora, eyes wide.

"I don't get it." Sora sighed, shaking his head.

Tynan groaned impatiently. "His _hair_, guys, his _hair_!"

Both boys turned to look at Shuyin, who ran his hand through his waxy hair in defiance and fixed them with a lethal glare. They continued to study him, as they were surely used to being glared at by now and Sora turned to Tynan with a large grin.

"I get it!" He said victoriously. "His hair _is_ waxy."

"I don't see any wax." Riku frowned. "Waxy means greasy!"

"Waxy doesn't mean greasy." Sora argued. "It means its smooth and in place."

"You mean silky?" Riku suggested, and both boys turned to look at the thoroughly annoyed Shuyin once again.

"Yeah, silky!" Sora agreed, saluting Shuyin. "Hiya, silk boy!"

"Wait...that sounds kinky...."

Sora and Riku continued to frown at each other in thought. Tynan's cheeks were beginning to look a little pink, and she stared at the two boys with absolute disbelief. She considered leaning over and covering theirs mouths with her hands, but decided against it since they were stronger then her put together and she quite liked her wrists unbroken.

"Re-learning the oddities of the male species is such fun." She murmured, just loud enough so that they would hear her.

"Tynan!" Sora gasped. "Is that _sarcasm _I hear? You haven't used sarcasm in days! I thought the ten-step program was working!"

"Someone's in a better mood today." Riku said softly, his eyes glinting at her threateningly. She caught and held his gaze for a long moment, her own eyes betraying secrets he needed her to keep. They were equally dangerous to each other when it came to secrets.

"Yeah." She said, picking at her shirt. "I had a good sleep."

"Woah-ho-ho!" Sora exclaimed, waving his arms and breaking their connection. "I don't know, but I'm starting to feel like a third wheel here. If you guys are going to hit on each other, warn me so I can leave."

"Sora!" Her hand went flying towards his face, and Sora caught her fist with ease, grinning at her from beside her wrist.

"You would hit me?" Sora asked, apparently shocked. "You're becoming more like Riku by the day! You've never acted violently towards me. But I consider it a sign of affection since you try to attack Riku so much."

Riku grinned at her slowly, and Tynan could do nothing but jump up from the bed, cheeks aflame as she hurried towards the door. Sora rubbed his palm with a wince, feeling the impact of her hit. He grinned at Riku, who's crossed arms were a sign that he was embarrassed.

"Sorry, Ku-ri." He grinned. "It's just so easy to embarrass her... and I have some revenge on you two that still needs to be taken out."

"Get over it." He sniffed. "Now shut up or _I_ will hit you."

"Silk does sound kinky." Sora mused, a change of topic so fast that it took Riku a few seconds to figure out what he was talking about. "Soft..."

"Frothy." Riku gushed, picking a thread on his shirt.

"Gossamer." Sora added, turning his full tooth-grin on the seething Blitzball player sitting by the window.

The pair of them stared at Shuyin for one dangerous moment before Shuyin jerked and they split from the room, wild cackles following them as they burst through the door. Shuyin sighed, settling back into his position, wondering how he had become so accustomed to this life.

Yuffie was quite occupied with trashing her own room, muttering under her breath and kicking discarded clothes. Matters only became worse when she stubbed her toe, and she let out a yell of frustration as she was forced to hobble her way around the room.

"If you sit still." A quiet voice advised her. "It won't hurt as much."

Yuffie gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Squall! Did I wake you up?"

Her roommate was watching her through hooded eyelids, his blue eyes blurry and unfocused. He seemed slightly amused at her display of anger, since Yuffie was usually so determined to remain in high spirits. Now she looked even funnier, her eyes wide with horror at the thought that she possibly could have stunted his recovery.

"You could wake up the dead with the noise you were making." He grumbled, closing his eyes and turning on to his side. "My name is Leon."

"Sorry." She murmured hastily, hurrying over to his bedside. "Do you need anything? Food, water, fluffed pillows?"

"I need you to stop fussing." He grumbled, opening his eyes to focus on her again. "Relax. I'm not going to die."

"Y-you could." She breathed, fluffing his pillows anyway. "It could develop into something else and then you would die."

"Like Syphilis?"

"Yes. _Exactly_!" She exclaimed. "And you...just made a joke."

He smirked at her. "Gotcha."

Her lip began to tremble, and Squall frowned as she looked away and stepped back from the bed. He mustered all his willpower, taking the small amount of energy he had gained and reaching out his arm to hers. She yelped when she was pulled down on the bed, landing at Squall's side with his arm resting limply on her back.

"What are you really upset about?"

She stared at him at his face, so close to hers, with wide eyes. Any close contact with him was slowly feeling more than platonic. She wasn't sure when these feelings had started, but being close to him had never caused such nervousness in her before. She turned her face into the pillow, trying to hide her face as blood rushed to her cheeks.

"C-Cid." She stuttered, trying to calm her heart. "H-he's organizing a fighting competition."

An odd look came over his face. "When?"

She raised her face from the pillow to peer at him. "You agree with this?"

"Why not?"

"Its not right!" She glared at him quite forcefully. " And don't even think about taking part in it, Mister. You're staying in bed."

"Whatever." He grumbled, turning his back on her. She studied his back in confusion for a quiet moment, contemplating turning him back over and trying to comfort him. She decided against it; Squall Leonhart was not easily comforted.

"I'm just...worried it will upset the people." She said quietly, staring at the ceiling.

"I think it upsets you more." He said weakly, and she saw that he had turned his head to face her, although his eyes were closed. "You're so used to protecting these people but....you need to let them go now."

"Squall?" She said incredulously, bemused that the idea of letting someone go had come from him, of all people.

But he had fallen asleep on her again, face completely relaxed as he let himself slip into his unnatural exhaustion. She chuckled, leaning over him to press her lips gently on his forehead. She told herself she was only being caring since he was sick. It was easy enough to lie to herself that way. But then he shifted slightly, his bangs lightly brushing her face, and she was hit with such a forceful affection that she jumped off the bed.

"I need to talk to Aerith." She muttered, bringing her hands to her flaming cheeks and hurrying out of the room.

Cloud growled in annoyance, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall of a store in the Third District. He didn't understand why Aerith couldn't take the younger ones shopping, since he had done so yesterday. But in light of the event being organized, the teenagers needed weapons and Aerith had gone to discuss providing healing at the tournament. And so he was playing baby-sitter once again.

"Break it up!" He called dryly to Sora and Riku, who were wrestling their way into the store. "We're in public."

"Sorry, boss." Sora called, saluting him and bowing Tynan into the doorway. Riku strolled in after her with all the essence of royalty, crying out when Sora shoved him inside and followed. Cloud took a deep breath, choosing to remain outside.

"I don't know why I can't just use the Keyblade." Sora grumbled, examining an arrangement of regular swords with distaste.

"Hello?" Tynan smiled at his pout of frustration. "Ultimate Cosmic Weapon seems a little on the cheating side."

"Phht." Sora cried, flicking a bullet at her, which she caught and examined closely. Riku frowned, stalking to the other side of the store without so much as a word.

"Touchy." Tynan mumbled, annoyed, as Sora chased after him.

Cloud looked up when the three of them sauntered out, carrying several bags between them. Sora was talking loudly, seeming to be carrying out most of the conversation by himself. The other two didn't seem to be talking. Cloud sighed. Teenagers.

"So?" he said. "What did you get?"

Sora pulled a case out of his bag, demonstrating a short sword-like weapon which bent in odd directions. It could have passed for an imitation Keyblade, but Cloud knew Sora would feel the difference. Riku had bought himself double swords, extremely thin to the point where they looked like fencing swords but much smaller. Tynan had two weapons as well, which attached to her wrists and were bent in a crescent shape. Cloud approved of this choice, since it left her hands free to use the small dagger she had purchased as well.

"Nice choices." He nodded, as they put their weapons away. Sora grinned and pulled out two wooden swords, showing them to Cloud quite proudly. "What are these for?"

"Fun." Sora informed him, rolling his eyes at the obvious answer.

"Fun?" Cloud raised his eyebrows. "You won't have much time for fun. You need to get used to those weapons if you're going to use them well."

"Yeah, Yeah." Sora brushed him off, but he noticed that Riku and Tynan looked startled. Evidently, they hadn't thought of that.

"Don't worry." Cloud chuckled, shaking his head at their worried expressions. "You'll have plenty of time to get used to them. The tournament isn't until Saturday."

He turned, striding down the stone walkway, eager to get back to the Hotel and away from the stores. The others followed much more slowly, gazing into the windows of the other stores and talking avidly. Apparently, the idea of the a Tournament was slowly dawning on them, and young excitement was never to be subdued. Even when he began to tap his foot impatiently, it was with much hesitation that they finally managed to drag themselves away from the strip mall.

"Come on." He waited for them to walk in front of him, pushing them along with a badly hidden smile. "We still have to stop at Cid's and register."

He met up with Aerith at the Accessory shop, where she had been waiting for him. He turned his back once to scold the teenagers when they tried to bud the rather long line, and when he turned back she was wearing a sparkly-happy smile. Cloud was always worried when Aerith got sparkly-happy.

"What?" He asked, when she began to chuckle.

"You're warming up to them." She said, clutching his arm. "I can tell."

"Warming up to them?" He asked, looking at her funny. "I am _not_ warming up to them....you should see what I had to tell them to stop doing."

"You're acting all disgruntled. But secretly, you _like_ babysitting them."

"You're a madwoman." He accused, taking his arm out of her grasp and stepping away. "Stay away. It could be contagious."

She chuckled. "Say what you will. You know I'm right."

"Mm.." was his only response, and Aerith giggled quietly as she realized there was no way Cloud would ever admit to anything he didn't want to. Instead, she stepped close to him again, kissing him gently on the cheek.

"You'll make a great father someday." She told him, trying to hide her smile at his paralyzed expression. She skipped off into the group of people, all of whom were surprisingly eager to participate in the tournament. Cloud was left at the back of the store to stare after her, numbly acknowledging the odd buzz that seemed to be disabling his limbs. Damnit, when had that woman learned to do that.

"Cloud?" Sora called, waving at him from across the store. "C'mon, we got a spot!"

"Cloud..."

"Cloud?"

Yuffie was met with a shocking yet pleasant sight when she returned to the Green Room. Squall was sitting up in bed, frowning at a tray that rested on his lap quite suspiciously. He looked over at her when her shadow blocked the street light streaming through the window, a frustrated and defensive look guarding his face.

"What?" She asked, stepping out of the light.

"Nothing." He growled, shifting the tray off his lap and crossing his arms.

"Food cold?" She grinned, amused at the obvious fact that he was trying to hide.

"Yes." He admitted grudgingly, glaring at her as if it were her fault. "Where were you?"

"Cid's." She answered, taking the tray from the bed and carrying it over to the kitchen. She'd looked for Aerith for quite a long time before giving up, it was surprising how many people were signing up for the tournament. She hadn't had reason to worry after all. So she'd gone for a walk instead, coming to terms with her thoughts all on her own, something she wasn't used to.

_'Take em' as they _come_.'_ She thought, watching the seconds tick down on the tiny gummi-powered microwave. 'That's just what I'll have to do until I really figure out what's going on with...us.'

She shuddered at the use of the word, pulling the warm plate out of the microwave and setting it back on Squall's tray. It was annoying how things had managed to become so crazy when she hadn't been paying attention. Her little mantra wouldn't calm her confusion for too much longer. Why was she so afraid?

"The others were right." She said conversationally as she placed the tray in his lap again. "People really seem to like the idea."

"Hnn." He contributed, lifting his spoon to his mouth and taking a mouthful of soup. He had trouble swallowing it for a moment, touching his throat once he had managed to do so. "Are you signing up?"

"No." She said easily, handing him a cup of water from the bed side table to help him wash his food down.

"No?" He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

She smiled. "You finished?"

She gestured to the food and he nodded. She took the tray back to the kitchen and when she returned Squall was already resting his head on the headboard. She pushed him down on to the pillows, fluffing them for good measure and to simply annoy him. He grunted at her, although she knew deep, deep down he was thankful for her help.

"Sleep tight!" She called teasingly, getting up off the bed and moving to leave.

"Yuffie?" She stopped. "Why aren't you entering the tournament?"

She shook her head, her cheeks pinking only a little as she reached over and touched his hair. Normally, Squall would have jerked away at such contact. Nobody touched the hair. The Gunblade was one thing. His belts were another. But his hair was always to remain untouched on pain of death.

But he didn't jerk away this time, and Yuffie was allowed to run her fingers through the soft tresses. It was nothing compared to any of their other random moments, there was no kiss in the rain with lightning crashing above. But somehow...it seemed more important, what he had just allowed her to do, more special.She knew it would be burned into her mind for a long time.

She smiled at him, rubbing his scalp one last time before trailing her hand down his face and resting it on his neck. She could feel the soft drumming of his heart beneath his skin, and she stepped back from him quickly, hand falling limp at her side. She was sure her face was a tomato by now. She wished he would stop looking at her.

"Well," She said, raising her face despite the way it looked. "I've got myself a warrior to take care of."

Squall stared at the spot she had stood long after she left. Eventually, his eye lids became heavy and he was forced to close them. But he let out a soft groan before he drifted off to sleep, covering his face with his ungloved hands. It was a question he'd repeated many, many times since he'd first met Yuffie.

What had he got himself into?

* * *

_Dances around like a maniac, back makes funny noise, hang-nail pulses with pain, grins_

I have nothing very intelligent so say.

The only part I can comment on is the 'Syphilis' joke made by Squall, which is an inside joke between my friends and I. Which happened because we were researching mono for a school project...and my information was actually about Syphilis by accident and I didn't notice...

I also apologize for the random hyperness of this chapter.

Please review!

P.S. Apparently, I have a thing with Squffie scenes being in a bed. I would have prevented it this time...but seeing as Squall can't get out of bed....bed is where the Squffieness shall remain. No sexual innuendo intended. (Innuendo makes me think of Nintendo..)


	8. Dust

"Sea Salts to Heal."

Disclaimer: I don't own very much and certainly not Square or Disney.

A/N: sighs This is a very fluff-less, plot-less chapter. But I was listening to 'Dust in the Wind' by Kansas...and my muse wanted me to write this chapter, so I did.

My favorite part of this chapter is the part with Shuyin. Just to let you know

Warnings: This COULD be a tissue alert, if you're a very, very sensitive person. It's a pretty sad chapter, but I don't know if its sad enough to make you cry. But just in case, be warned!

Shoutouts:

Deplora: hehehe...sadly, there is no Squffie in this one. Since it's a pointless chapter, I couldn't really fit them in there but... next time. Heh, lucky Yuffie.

Tonkeli: You're not an idiot! Heh, but you told me to ignore this review, so that is all I shall say.

Iris: Yeowch. I wouldn't have put humor in that chapter if I knew you were getting oral surgery. If you're still in pain, this chapter doesn't have much funiness in it at all, so you're safe

Bronzetoast: Merci buckets!

Ann: Sorry, I was too lazy to write your full name. Muah. _giggles_ I couldn't help myself with the wax boy thing but..you know what the magnificent cough medicine does, eh? Well..._is sad_ there's no Squffie in this one but..there is SORTA some Riku/Tynan like you asked for. Sorta

P.S. Sora and Riku's idioticness was inspired by my guy friends in real life. Fun, eh?

Destinyintertwined: Heh, you're name made me think of Riku and how he says 'intertwined.' That made me happy. As did your review, of course. Ahhh! Worry not, my friend! The Sora/Kairi will come later in the fic. There's even some reference to it in this chapter!

P.S. Nope, there's no Japanese to Ku-ri. It's just Riku's name put backwards. But you inspired me for ANOTHER nickname for Riku. If Sora were to call Riku Ku-rin, that would have had a Japanese tone to it. Adding 'rin' to the end of one's name is what school girls traditionally give as nicknames to eachother or themselves. so by Sora calling Riku 'Ku-rin' he'd be calling him a school girl.

Angel-yuripa: Heh! I wouldn't really call this a long story...more like several one-shots put together.

Zarrel's Darkside: Five Internet Bucks? YES! I need some of these! Um..._digs through the plushies_ and finds the shadow one woot!

Spacecowqueen: Squffie's are the funnest to write!

I'd like to thank you all for reviewing. I love you.

As a final note, if there are those of you that have not already joined, there's a STELLAR (yes, I said stellar) Squffie Forum now. Go to w w w. amekaze. net / forum/ index . php. (Take the spaces out of course) and check it out!

* * *

Tynan was unbelievably quiet on the night before the tournament would begin. She had never been too ostentatious, although she tended not to think before she said things, most likely resulting in the new found indignation sent in her direction from Riku. Indeed, the older boy was angry at her again and she could sense from his expression that right about now, he wished she would leave the room. She hadn't felt so in a very long time, not since she had left her home World. That feeling, mixed in with the odd sensation she was feeling in her stomach, was enough to keep her silent. 

**I close my eyes,  
only for a moment, and the moment's gone**

**All my dreams,  
pass before my eyes, a curiosity**

Sora and Riku were fighting with their new weapons in the middle of their room, their dining table pushed aside in order to give them space in which to spar. Tynan sat on the floor, out of the way, arms slung over her knees as she stared at the floor.

Sora hissed loudly once Riku cut his hand, glaring at his best friend as he nursed the wound, only just noticing his female companion. He raised an eyebrow, bringing his hands to his lips and sucking on the wound.

"You okay, Tynan?" He called. Tynan jumped slightly, looking over at them with a glazed expression.

"Yeah." She murmured, rubbing her eyes. "Just tired, I guess."

"Then go to sleep." This little piece of advice came from Riku, cold and meanly spoken. Tynan's stomach gave another little jolt. Why did she feel so horrible?

"Okay." She said hoarsely, trying to hide her face from the boys, in case any of the odd emotion she was feeling showed on her face.

"Goodnight?" Sora said tentatively, turning to Riku in confusion as Tynan shut the door without so much as a word. "What's up with her?"

"The usual." Riku said casually, setting his weapons down. "She's being deplorable (A/N: I couldn't help myself ), insolent, childish, impractical, completely unpleasent and bitchy."

Sora blinked. "I don't think I've heard you use so many big words in one sentence before. I mean, apart from the bitchy thing.."

Riku didn't answer, picking up his jacket and pushing the door to the alley open. Sora was left standing alone in his room, confused beyond belief and wondering what the heck had been going on between his two closest companions without him noticing.

**Dust in the wind,  
all they are is dust in the wind**

Shuyin was caught with such familiarity when he stepped into the third district that all he could do was stop and stare. Traverse Town had always been, atleast to him, a quiet and lonely place. There were no crowds and no flashing lights. No concerts, sports or events to bring the people together. It was the way he wanted it; the last thing he needed was a reminder of Zanarkand.

Yet the Third District was bustling. The sound of people talking, of building things. The sounds of excitement. He leaned against the side wall of his usual alley way, his head resting against the corner as he watched Traverse Town prepare for a tournament. He scanned the faces of each happy person in the crowd and it took nearly ten minutes before he realized what he was doing.

He was looking for Lenne.

How long would it last? How long would it be until his heart stopped quickening every time he saw someone with her hair? He wouldn't be able to maintain any of the decent sanity he had reacquired much longer if..if his heart continued to control him like this.

He continued to watch until the lights and colours blurred, he touched his face and realized he was crying. It was like an erruption, he hadn't cried in so long. He turned into the wall so that he was no longer visible, slumping against it and sliding to the ground. He felt cold inside, somehow, ashamed. As if it were his body crying but not his soul. Some cool part of his mind observing his emotions in disdain.

But it didn't seem to matter anymore.

His sobs were a dull sound, a backdrop against the noisy commotion and laughter taking place outside. The sound of them echoing off the brick walls and striking him in the face like a physical hit. He was weak; that was why Lenne was gone. These people had all gotten over there loses, moved on. And here he was, sitting in a dark alley, crying over something that would never be again.

**Same old song,  
just a drop of water in an endless sea**

**All we do,  
crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see**

The town was much louder than usual, Sora observed, as he stood on the roof of the Gizmo shop. He supposed it made sense, since preparations for the tournament were beginning to take place. But even those who were not involved seemed to be excited, wondering around the district and watching the commotion. He smiled. The tournament had been a good idea.

And yet everyone seemed to be suffering from emotional PMS, himself included, although he could not explain it to himself. Shouldn't he be completely ecstatic and excited? It wasn't as though this was his first tournament; he knew what it was supposed to feel like before an event such as this. His heart was supposed to be pounding, butterflies in his stomach, caught between being exhilarated and terrified.

Instead, he felt like rolling into the fetal position and clenching his eyes shut against the world. He felt disheartened but what could he possibly be upset about? He had no relationship problems besides the fact that he didn't have one, he wasn't angry and nobody was angry with him. But the upsetting feeling was there, gripping his heart like a spider-legged machina and not letting go.

It was really, really rare that he felt this bad, especially when the sadness appeared to have no cause. The last time he could remember feeling like this with a cause was the first day he'd been to Traverse, sitting in Leon and Yuffie's room with no hope in his heart.

'_That's it.'_ He thought, eyes turning to the sky. _'No hope'_

The thought hit him like a bowling ball. No hope. No use. What was the point of staying in this place if he wasn't needed? Why couldn't he just go home?

The sadness in his heart increased, and he finally realized what had been in his subconscious to make him so sad.

He could not go home. One of the stars he was currently staring at was his home. On one of those stars, his peace was sitting on the beach, looking up at the same sky and wishing he was there. But he couldn't go. He couldn't keep his promise.

But what for? He wasn't needed here!

Turning rapidly, he let out a loud growl, flinging his stupid new weapon at the far wall with as much strength as he could muster. It hit the wall without making a scratch, falling to the ground with a dull, unsatisfactory clank.

"Sora?"

He turned sad and frustrated dark eyes to his intruder. Tynan stood at the top of the ladder, looking slightly shocked at the expression on his face. He looked away for a moment, eyes clenching shut. When he looked back, his face wore its usual open and friendly expression.

"H-hey, Tynan." He said, trying to regain some composure. "What are you doing up here? Weren't you going to bed?"

"Couldn't sleep." She explained, scrambling up from the ladder. "You..uh..okay?"

"'Course." He grinned untruthfully, ruffling her brown hair with his hand. "Wanna spar?"

She sighed, bending to pick up his thrown weapon and handing it back to him. Sora was obviously not fine if he was throwing his weapon around like that. But she wasn't necessarily open with her emotions, and she respected her friend enough not to ask.

"Sure." She smiled weakly instead. "Just let me get my stuff."

"I'll come with." He said, joyful as ever, a bounce to his step as he followed her to the ladder. "And on the way, you can tell me what the heck went on between you and Riku."

Tynan sighed again, loud enough for her smirking companion to hear. Emotionally unstable or not, he definitely had not lost his one-track mind.

**Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky  
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy**

When Tynan opened her eyes next morning, the feeling in her stomach was completely different. It was still uncomfortable but it made her heart beat so fast, it made her smile. Nervousness. That she could deal with. It was only made better when Sora burst into her room, pouncing on the bed like a child on Christmas morning.

The three teenagers made their way to the first district, weapons in hand as the excited people around them did the same. Tynan found that the closer she got to the Accessory shop, the harder it was becoming to breath. Sora snickered.

"Nervous?" Sora teased, getting in her face. "Shaky from anticipation?"

"About to vomit?" Riku added, eyebrows raised as Tynan was forced to dart into an alleyway and regurgitate the breakfast Aerith had insisted she eat. Aerith, who had been following a few steps behind, hurried off to her side. This caused a fresh wave of snickers amonst Sora and Riku, only quieted when a throughly annoyed Tynan rejoined them. Everything seemed to be back to normal.

But Sora was still forced to stand between the two of them, Shuyin stood by himself with deep bags under his eyes. Sora glanced up at the sky one last time, praying that Kairi had no lost hope as he had.

Cid stood in front of the Accessory Shop, grinning at the eager faces in the crowd that had assembled before him.

"Let the tournament begin."

**Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind**

* * *

Woot! That, my friends, was a completely pointless chapter. You could have skipped this and the story would not have been effected but..I was listening to the song and it just happened.. 

Well?


	9. Smile

"Sea Salts to Heal."

Disclaimer: I do not own Square, Disney or any of its characters. But I will one day...

A/N: Lotsa Squffie in this chapter! No Cloerith, and more Tea-ku...I mean, Tyku. And...and..._giggles madly_ A tiny bit of Soriku in there as well. Buahahaha. Don't worry. There won't be hoards of Soriku fans attacking this story. You'll see.

**Shout outs:**

**Ann**: _sparkly eyes_ You like Tea-ku almost as much as you liked Zephyr/Riku? That makes me insanely happy. Muahaha. I surprised you with this one, hopefully. A day early, eh?

**Joy Blue:** heheheeh, I'm certain you'll hate and love Riku at certain intervals throughout this chapter..and fic. It's a good song! You should listen.

**Deplora**: I guess I used my 'get out of not using Squffie free' card. Not to worry, there is Squffie in this chapter, which is pushing the Squffieness into the direction of actually BECOMING Squffie. YAR! Perhaps the person who first used the word Deplorable was thinking of a Deplora they did not like? Either way, it's a cool middle name. Mine's Elizabeth.How_ insanely_ unoriginal. (No offense to anyone named Elizabeth!)

**Tonkeli**: Yup! More Squffie! BAD! No being mean to yourself, you.

**Yuffie Kisagari2:** Thankies! Hope you like.

**DestinyIntertwined**: Heheh..I was playing FFX-2 today, and Yuna says 'intertwined.' but it wasn't as good as when Riku said it. Oh, I KNOW. Shuyin's evil but REALLY, I would be too. But I think the Tidus thing was a little more sad. I mean, atleast Shuyin and Lenne had some time, you know? And when Yuna's like "Why be a sphere hunter when what I'm looking for can never be found?" I mean, NEVER being able to find your love? I would go nuts. Just like Shuyin! Heh, the Sokairi is coming along in a bit, don't worry. As for the time, it takes place two years after KH, so maybe a year after KH2.

**Iris**: I absolutely adore you! your reviews are so happy making! Hehe, I could NOT resist adding Shuyin. I lurve him.

This chapter is dedicated to **Annjirika**, who has been a great fellow cult leader and pushed me to get this chapter in a day early since I'm sure she'll pay me in certain previews of certain fics as praise. _Grins and flees_

**EXTRA THANKS: Neonraine, for pointing out my horrendous spelling mistake. I don't know what I was thinking you were right, so don't worry about questioning your English. Maybe I should!**

**

* * *

**

"Someone up there hates me."

Sora stared hard at the page posted in front of him, willing the words to mix and change until the current truth became different. Riku tilted his head to read over his best friend's shoulder, eyeing that very same page until he found what was causing Sora's grief. When he began to chuckle, Tynan bent over to look in turn, her eyebrow raising in slight confusion as she tried to figure out what the Keyblade master was going on about.

"What?" She questioned impatiently, as Sora pouted.

"The name of the person I'm fighting is Sharon Bobba." He groaned, glaring accusingly at the paper in front of him, which was a list of who each person was assigned to battle in the first round of the tournament.

"So?" She examined the list again. "What's the big problem?"

"She's a girl." Sora said despairingly, and Tynan gasped.

Riku groaned silently to himself. Tynan's hands were fisted quite tightly on her hips, the metal of her weapons glinting dangerously as she glared at Sora. Although Sora appeared to be naively charming, he had absolutely no knowledge of other people's offence to what he said sometimes.

"_I'm_ a girl." She said pointedly.

"Yeah." Sora replied distractedly, reading over the list again. "But you're not a _girl_ girl."

This response didn't seem to satisfy Tynan at all.

"I'm not?" She said in exasperated tones. "What am I then?"

"Who am I fighting?" Riku interrupted, perhaps to prevent whatever idiotic thing Sora might have said in response.

Sora examined the list once again, ignoring the impatient muttering of the people crowding behind them. He gave a surprised gasp followed by a laugh, turning to Riku with a much happier expression and without a single pout.

"You're fighting Tynan!" He said delightedly, as if this were the best thing in the world. "Lucky!"

Riku's face darkened, betraying the thought that he felt anything but lucky. If upset about this new fact, Tynan did not show it. Indeed, she seemed that much more upset at Sora, who turned to her with a look of great surprise.

"I'm melting?" He blinked, in response to her fierce glare.

"_I'm_ a girl!" She repeated. "How come its okay for Riku to fight me, but not for you to fight another girl?"

"Well..you..." He scratched the back of his head. "Do I really need to explain this?"

"I think you should!"

"The first rounds are starting." Riku interrupted yet again, turning away and pushing his way through the crowd of the Accesory shop without another word. Sora stared after him in astonishment for what must have been the umpteenth time that week.

"He needs a cape." He decided. "It could billow when he storms out like that."

Tynan rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't you be used to him by now? Being a friend of his?"

"And looks who's fighting him, eh?" Sora grinned, tugging on her ponytail teasingly. "Nothing makes a fight more interesting than sexual tension."

She snorted, pushing through the crowd and disappearing as well. Sora was beginning to wonder if it would perhaps be easier to have a set of imaginary friends.

* * *

Squall's heart was beating painfully against his chest as he awoke. His nightmare danced before his eyes before he fully awoke, and it took him another moment to indentify the screaming from the town below to be that of excitement and not fear. 

"I'm so used to pain," He said to his partner, who he knew sat on the edge of the bed and was watching him with worry. "I've begun to expect it."

"I'm so used to you being secretive." Yuffie said, worriedly running a damp cloth over his forehead. "I just might die from an attack of some kind if you keep talking like that."

"I put full blame on the fact that I'm ill." He cracked hoarsely, pushing her hand away and struggling to sit up.

"All those years of trying to get you to open up." Yuffie smiled, sitting back. "And all it took was a brain-cell-killing fever to do it."

"Very non-permanent brain damage, I assure you." He groaned, resting his head against the wall and tilting his head to look at her. She was grinning at him, something he took as highly suspicious.

"You just made another joke," She pointed out. "Loving those drugs, aren't you?"

He looked away, bending foward ever so slightly so he could see out the bottom of the window. Bright colours and flashing of cameras met his eyes, and he suddenly felt very, very resentful towards whoever he'd shared that fork with.

"Do you want to go see it?"

He looked over at her. "How?"

"Well, we don't have a wheelchair and we don't want Aerith to see you out of bed but..." She grinned, pulling back the covers that covered his waist. "I think you can manage sitting on the balcony for an hour or so without perishing."

He stared at her in astonishment. Was it just him and his brain damage, or had something about his roommate changed? It would be senseless for him to deny the fact that things had been different between them since that night when she'd threatened to leave. And she'd definitely noticed too, if her clumsiness and blushing had anything to do with it. But today, right now, she seemed so reassured. As if she had figured something out while he'd been sleeping.Yuffie? Figuring something out before himself?

How unjust.

"Come on!" She chirped, snapping him out of his thoughts as she tugged on his hand to help him sit up. "The fights have already started!"

That said, she wrapped her tiny arm around his back and lifted him off the side of the bed. They paused to let the blood flow back to his lifeless legs, Yuffie nudging him along a little as they gimped their way across the room. She shoved the balcony door open with her foot, turning sideways so they could fit through the frame. Finally, Squall stumbled and landed in a white plastic chair, Yuffie sprawled in his lap. He fully expected her to blush, stutter incoherently and pull away. But this new and improved Yuffie simply smiled at him, tilting her head up so she could see past the railing and down into the district below.

"Hey! I think that's Riku and Tynan!" She said excitedly. "Wow! This should be interesting."

"W-why's that?" He asked, his voice a bit higher in pitch than he would have liked.

"Have you seen the sexual tension?" She smiled, running her fingers in circles over his arm, apparently not noticing the effect it was having on him. "Nothing makes a fight more interesting than sexual tension. Right?"

He looked at her, wondering if she had truly intended the hidden meaning behind her words. But she only continued to watch the battle going on below, leaning away from his chest and cheering for her younger friends with gusto. Squall sighed as he relaxed. This could be dealt with later.

He rested his head against her arm and smiled. "Right."

* * *

Sora was very used to the fact that Riku always had one on him. He was a year older, he was one second faster and he was always one swipe ahead when they fought. Since they were best friends, and Riku was the only one who could beat him at anything, competition and popularity had never really been that much of an issue. 

Apparently, the people of Traverse Town thought differently. Sure, Sora had saved the universe...twice. But that was _nothing_ in comparison to Riku's shimmery hair and general bad boy apparence. Two months in this small town and he already had a freackin' fan club.

Not that he was jealous or anything...

"Go Riku!" The jingly, heavily jewled girl pressing close beside him in the crowd surrounding the fighting ring screamed. "I believe in you!"

Riku tilted his head to glance at her, looking generally shocked at such devotion from someone he didn't even know. But she wasn't the only one. In fact, cheering and other comments followed the first, and Sora chuckled to himself as Riku's old cocky grin slipped into place. He hadn't seen that grin in a long time. He had missed it.

Riku finally lifted his arm to his audience, a pleading yet genuinely pleased look on his face as he silently asked for calm. Slowly, the crowd quieted, and Sora took this as a perfect moment.

"Marry me, Riku!" He cried, jumping up and down in an imitation of the girl beside him. "I want your body!"

Tynan, who had been standing silently off to the side, giggled helplessly. Riku glanced at her, and then turned to Sora, mockingly running his eyes over his body and winking. Sora brushed his hand to his forehead, swooning into the arms of the girl beside him, who cheered in turn as Riku finally turned to his opponent with a grin.

Their mirth died as their eyes met, and Riku's cocky stance slipped ever so slightly. She looked unfairly tiny, almost as though the many belts that were required in order to stay in fashion here were about to drop her to the floor. She watched him through dull eyes, redish brown hair pulled back tightly, looking as odd to him as when he had first seen her wear it down. Finally, her knees bent and she lifted her weapons in front of her as she bounced on her toes. Riku snorted, crossing the distance of the fighting ring, weapons held loosely at his side as he circled her. The crowd went deathly quiet.

Tynan kept her eyes straight a head as he walked around her. "What are you, a vulture or something?" (1)

"Hardly." He smirked. "Vultures circle their pray after its dead."

She glanced at him as he passed. "Is that likely to happen?"

He shrugged, coming to a stop behind her. "Anything's possible."

He raised his swords against hers as she whirled on him, catching her blades between his. She seethed at him through her eyes, but it seemed nothing could break his confidence now. He leaned in from between their crossed weapons, brushing his nose with hers.

"Ah, Ah, Ah." He murmured, his breath blowing over her face and making her eyes sting. But she refused to blink. Blinking was a rookie mistake. "Violence is a sign of lesser intelligence."

"Oh." She hissed, pressing her own face in close to his so that he was forced to move back. "Well, then certainly demonstrate higher intelligence by forfeiting the match."

He laughed and stepped back, gesturing her forward with a hand.

"I never said I was intelligent." He rolled his eyes, as if she were supposed to get his joke. "Bring it!"

Slowly, the crowd became a little less uncomfortable and began to cheer as the fighting began. Sora, however, was troubled as he watched their weapons clash. Was he the only one who noticed how fiercely they were fighting? How close their weapons were to touching uncovered skin? He glanced over to the convenience tent, trying to catch Aerith's eye as she stood outside of it. But the flower girl didn't seem to notice a thing, cheering quietly and enjoying the match as much as anyone.

Finally, the moment came where Tynan failed to notice Riku's outstretched foot and she stumbled. Riku's attack didn't falter at all; he continued to slash at her violently and Tynan was barely managing to defend herself. The crowd cheered wildly as Tynan began to stumble too far off her balance.

Sora felt extremely disturbed for reasons he couldn't fully explain, and he had a sudden urge to step away and distance himself from these people. How could anyone enjoy this? (2) Instead, he focussed on watching the battle, his arms crossed over his chest. One hard and final shove sent Tynan flying, and Sora gasped as she landed in a funny position on her side, sliding along the pavement before coming to a stop. She lay still, and Riku moved to finish the battle off.

"Riku!" Sora cried, desperately trying to snap his friend out of whatever mind set he had fallen into.

Riku stopped, staring at the girl's huddled form. Sora continued to watch anxiously as Riku dropped his weapons, rushing to bend down beside the girl. A small blade was pressed to his neck before he could think, and Tynan stared up at him with wildly frightened eyes.

She hissed, pressing the blade closer. "Get away from me!"

Riku stood and took several hurried steps back, staring helplessly as she stood. Her left cheek was bleeding, her left eyelid held shut by an irritated scratch. Her wrist was bent funny as she held it to her chest, water trickling from the side of her eyes.

"Happy?" She whispered, violently untying the weapon from her uninjured wrist, throwing them down on to the pavement.

"T-Tynan..I.." He began helplessly, but she had already turned and was being ushered to the medical tent.

The crowd clapped politely, but Riku couldn't be bothered to care. He felt oddly lost, as if he had fallen asleep some point before the battle and had just woken up now. But it wasn't that simple; he could still feel the anger pumping his heart, although it was quickly fading. Embarrassment, fear and guilt chased him out of the battle area.

He waited until Sora had pulled him from the crowd before he broke down.

* * *

"You should get some rest." Aerith said gently to the girl by her side, as they walked down the furnished hallway of the Hotel. "The medicine will heal you faster if you have more energy." 

Tynan stopped in front of her hotel room, rubbing the cast she now wore on her wrist self consciously. "I'm still kinda pumped. I'll sleep in a bit."

"Well..." Aerith hesitated, noticing how upset the girl looked. "Alright, but will you eat atleast?"

"Okay." She gave Aeirith a small smile. "Thank you."

Aerith wondered if the girl would really follow her advice, and she chuckled despite herself when she heard the back door of Tynan's room open and shut. She couldn't let it bother her that no one seemed to take her wisdom seriously, especially amongst close friends. So she wasn't surprised when she entered the Green Room to find Squall out of bed. She could only guess where he might have gone, since he wasn't likely to make it through the crowds in his condition. She pushed the balcony door open, concluding it was the only place he could be, and opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind...

But the sight before her made her pause, stare in shock, and finally smile.

Squall Leonheart sat in one of those uncomfortable white chairs, Yuffie curled into his chest. Both of them were asleep, a blanket pulled up to Yuffie's shoulders. Aerith watched them for as long as she figured was decent, since it was rare yet rather nice to see them being so peaceful together. She worried a bit about leaving them there; another illness was not something Squall needed right now. Then, with another smile, she shut the door quietly behind her as she left.

Yuffie would take good care of him.

* * *

The sound of his own footsteps in the silent alley way that made him feel uncomfortable. He was hit with the sudden feeling that millions of people were watching and judging him as he walked, and he didn't doubt that the object of his mission cursed every step that he took. His heart was beating in his stomach, leaving his palms sweaty and a sour taste in his mouth. He'd only been this nervous thrice in his life (after all, he was taught to be a very dauntless person by his very dauntless mother) and that was when he'd had first had the nerve to talk to Sora when he'd been five years old, when he'd first had the nerve to talk to Kairi when he was ten, and the first time he had talked to Sora after the Adventure. It was only for Sora that he was here, who was more than a little angry with him, and had forced him to come. 

And he could very honestly say that Dauntless Riku had never been this guiltily nervous in his life.

His breath, as was expected, was knocked from his lungs as he first saw the cause of his nervousness. He was vaguely aware that he was acting like some girl who was talking to her crush, but his lungs began to burn at that point and he couldn't be bothered to care. Tynan was sitting on the egde of her room's balcony, eyes closed although he was sure she must have heard his footsteps.

"Come to gloat?" She said dully, affirming his suspicious that she knew of his presense.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking, clearing his throat one too many times before Tynan tilted her head to look down at him. If possible, his stomach dropped even furthur into his stomach. Her cheek was covered in a burn-like scratch, her eyes heavy from the pain relieving medication she had no doubt received. Her hand was bandaged and resting lightly on the balcony railing. Riku, who had seen and caused many deaths despite his young age, had never felt so horrible.

"No." He said, his mouth dry. "I came to apologise. I...lost control."

She snorted softly, turning her cheek away so that the wound was no longer visible.

"Look." Riku said, a bit more confidently as the usual spark of annoyance she caused was brought forth once again. "I don't want to argue, okay? I just came to see if you were alright."

"I wasn't sure you cared." She said softly, closing her eyes.

He let out a long sigh, hoisting his tired body on to the pile of crates that lead up to the side of the balcony. Tynan stared determinedly at the ground as he climbed towards her, and continued to stare even as he settled on the highest crate, resting his elbows on his knees and staring ahead as well. He wasn't sure there was anything he could say to make her feel better. He wasn't going to justify his actions, no matter how badly he felt. How could he explain what he didn't understand?

_Welcome to the Wonderful World of Woman, Riku. Now you're cooking with gas!_

He slumped against the crate with a weary sigh, two of his father's favourite quotes pounding against the sides of his skull. It was odd that he missed his parents, when his old self had cared for nothing but escaping his home. Maybe losing control like he had brought him outside himself. Still, it was curious that Tynan had managed to do that, when neither Sora or Kairi had managed to do so. It really wasn't all that fair for Tynan to sit there, looking injured and sad, for the sole purpose of making him feel bad. He almost laughed out loud at the thought. Why was it that every small, insignfigant thing about her annoyed him so?

"So...are you okay?" He began weakly, scratching the inside of his arm in nervous habit.

_Tongue-tied._ he thought angrily. _I'm_ _tongue tied._

"Fine." She said without expression. "Absolutely spiffing."

He sighed again, this time in frustation. Why couldn't Tynan be more like Kairi? Easy-going, happy-go-lucky, quick to forgive and never to hold a grudge. It was very easy to get along with Kairi. While Tynan, he was sure, would hold this against him until he groveled. Fat chance that was going to happen. It seemed, with this girl, that only way to fight was to fight with fire.

Her eyes flickered in a slight wince when he stood, hoping over the railing and striding over to her side. She wouldn't even look at him when he crouched beside her; not even when he took her bandaged hand. He traced his fingers over the skin that was not covered by the hard plaster, smiling as her fingers began to twitch. This was nice..

"See?" He said softly. "We get along fine if we don't talk."

She snatched her hand back, clutching it closely to her chest. She continued to stare ahead, disappointing Riku, who had expected a much more violent reaction. Violence he could take; cold shoulders and silent treatments had always been his weak point. Slightly desperate now, he reached out to touch her chin. Tynan hissed and slapped his hand, turning her face away.

"I just want so see it." He said, his voice perfectly friendly although his annoyance was growing steadily. "The cut."

"Admiring your handy work?" She muttered angrily, anger darkening her blue eyes as she finally turned to glare at him. Riku flinched visibly; she couldn't have said anything more insulting if she had tried.

"No." He hissed, pulling away and standing, his fists clenched. "Do you have to be so god damn irritable?"

"Only to you, Riku _dear."_ She replied, her voice wavering slightly when she said his name.

They remained in charged silence for several moments before Riku let out a hearty groan, covering his face with his hands as he leaned against the wall. Tynan went back to staring at nothing while Riku chuckled wearily.

"Why do you hate me so much?" He asked quietly, the amusement fading from his voice, and the question sounded childish even to his own ears.

"I don't hate you." She said, her eyelids flickering again. "I don't know why you'd think that."

"But you're angry." He pointed out, sliding across the balcony to sit beside her, his feet dangling.

She sighed, fed up. "What do you expect, Riku? I don't really appreciate being your emotional punching bag."

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously, tilting his head to get a good look at her face.

Her gaze faltered slightly. "You didn't seem to be an angry person when I first met you. It that place...I mean, you were kindalike...a presence of strength."

Riku shifted, feeling a bit awkward. Tynan continued.

"And then when I first saw you here...you were what I thought you'd be like. Until I got to know you better...and it turned out you weren't who I thought you were. You goof around with Sora, but then you're an angry, insufferable, annoying person to me. Like I'm a freakin' vent on your frustation. And now...now I have a horrendously scarred face and a broken wrist. Riku, its not fair."

Riku ran his hand through his hair, a slow feeling of dread trickling down his spine. She'd confirmed almost all the fears he'd had about himself, ones that he'd never been able to tell Sora, who probably would have denied such faults anyway.

" So...I'm a bit screwed up." He said meekly. "I...didn't use to be like that."

She turned to him, although he noticed she hid her injured cheek, and smiled slightly.

"I know." She told him. "Sora delights in stories about you when you were younger."

He grinned sheepishly. "I'll...uh...work on that."

Tynan sighed and turned away. "I don't want to force you to change. You have about every perfect excuse in the book to be messed up. I..understand how it feels. Its just...you're such a ball of contradiction that sometimes I think you might combust."

The pressure in his stomach ease somewhat, and he took her hand in his again, tracing the bandage again. Tynan stared at their hands, trying to think of the pain in her cheek or why she was angry with him; anything to distract her from the warm tickle he was causing on her skin. She was supposed to be mad, damnit! Riku smiled.

"I think I've finally figured out why you tick me off so easily." He said softly, raising green eyes to hers with a soft smile. "But we'll save that for another day."

She nodded distractedly. Fortunately, he dropped her injured hand at the moment, lifting his arms behind his head and cracking his back a bit. She watched him unsurely for a bit, wondering if this should maybe be an awkward moment, until he looked at her and grinned.

"Here's a thought." He said, standing. "How about I make it up to you?"

Tynan grinned, tapping her fingers against her chin and pretending to consider this. "Would there be pancakes involved?"

"Straight from Mai's Pancake House right to your stomach acid." He smirked, hoping off the balcony and offering his hand to her. "Tempted?"

"My stomach acid loves you." She said, jumping off the balcony herself and ignoring his hand. "Race you!"

He watched her run, slightly confused as to how she had forgiven him without furthur complications. She wasn't at all like Kairi. Maybe like Sora. And he was suddenly very glad the aforementioned had forced him out here. He smiled as she ducked around a corner and took off towards the third district, where their favourite breakfast restaurant stood and counted to three before he took off after her.

He didn't want to give her _too_ much of a head start.

(1) I SO stole that line from Anastasia.

(2) I feel this way sometimes at Hockey games. Born and raised Canadian! I feel embrassed sometimes how nuts people are.

OKAY. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY!

I am going to update PE TWICE before I put up the next chapter of this, since PE is being shamefully neglected.

_holds up a hat_ Bets on the likeliness that I go back on that promise?

Weeeellll?


	10. Fear

"Sea Salts to Heal."

**Disclaimer**: O, Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love, in all thy sons command! With glowing hearts, we see thee rise, our True North strong and free! From far and wide, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, O, Canada, we stand on guard for thee! God, keep our land, glorious and free! O, Canada, Squall is sexy, we stand on guard for thee! O, Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

**A/N**: The following chapter has: Slander to JAT, a representation of what I look like on Pancake morning, and my favorite Squffie scene so far. For today, anyway.

The disclaimer was a little Canadian lesson for you guys. If you didn't see, the disclaimer was hidden in there, and also slander of my nation by imputing that Squall is sexy. I love National Anthems.

By the way, does anyone know how to keep a certain font when uploading stories? I'm so sick of New Times Roman 12, and I'm pretty sure that's the default font. So how do you change it? I've seen stories that have.

**Shout-outs!**

Deplora: I did update PE twice! Aren't you proud of me? Anyhoot, I happen to like your ranty reviews, so feel free to write them as much as you like. Its good to hear from you again!

Tonkeli: Yup. I myself have fallen asleep in those plastic chairs. Its not pretty. Oh, well, I love you anyway, even if Math is stupid.

NeonRaine: Yes, indeed! This chapter is quite fluffy! Er...I think...heh! Thanks again for fixing my spelling mistake...I don't know why I thought that was the word...meh!

Ann: I looooooooove yooouuuuuuuuuu! I have to say there isn't MUCH Tyku in here, and to make up for that I'm going to try and write that special scene for you as soon as I can! And write the next Riku battle scene so you can grope him! Anyhoot, I was thinking of making Riku and Tynan have a secret re-match in the alley some time...WHAT SAY YOU! Love, from, BERT!

YK2- More Squffieness in this one! In fact, its on of my favorites!

DazedXConfused: Oh, I know. But doncha worry! Sora and Shuyin are going to become more involved in the story soon. Its just that right now I can only use them to vent my angsty-ness. But they'll stop being neglected soon, don't worry! Thank you so much for your review, and I love constructive criticism!

Plumbob: You are the coolest! Hehehehe, yes, Internet Explorer plots against me all the time. As does my computer. 'Update or else.' Nice!

Iris: You rock, dude! **Head slams** Heh, more Squffie in this one, and I'm awesomly glad that you got an account. Now you must write. WRITE, I say!

DestinyBestWordEverWhenRikuSaysIt: Hola! YOUR BROTHER KEEPS ERASING YOUR FFX-2! Mine used to do that to! I had to buy my own copy, the scum bag. But yup, I've beat it, and one thing I can say is that WORK HARD while playing the game because the Good and Perfect endings are AMAZING and happy and they made me cry in a happy way!

Joy Blue: I was thinking of writing another fight scene, but then Riku would be acting all careful and not sexy at all. Plus, Tynan wouldn't be allowed to fight because she's injured. However...perhaps they'll have a secret rematch...heehhe..

Arzachel: Movie? What movie? Well...this chapter is PRETTY mushy but..mush is good sometimes right? Right? ISN'T IT! Ahem. I am not a spaz.

The. Dr: Your review made me ridiculously happy. And don't worry, Kairi and the magic are coming in fairly soon.

**Special note:**

The author is sick, so send her some 'get well soon' thoughts.

_**HERE WE GO!**_

Sora shoved his way through the door of his favorite restaurant, bones aching and stomach growling. It was just his luck that his female opponent happened to be rather big boned, with rippling muscles even Riku couldn't hope to achieve and a uni-brow to complete the look. He'd won, of course, in the end, but not before the woman had delighted in tossing him around the ring with a mere flick of her wrist. The fates really did hate him after all. It would probably be a good idea to stop challenging fate, as he had taken to doing so verbally before each battle. Challenging fate didn't seem to do anything except land him with a truck load of scratches and one too many bruises.

'_I'm so full of hubris_.' He thought as he maneuvered his body around the chairs and tables that littered the small restaurant. '_Now all I need is a star-crossed lover._'

He winced guiltily as he was reminded of the actual star-crossed lovers he knew; Cloud, Squall and Shuyin had all lost someone they had loved deeply. He did not want to end up like Shuyin, who it seemed no one could reach despite the time they had all spent together in Traverse. Had Shuyin challenged fate? What had happened to his lover and how had Shuyin managed to survive? The knowledge that his best friend was lost somewhere in darkness, that he'd been sent away from Kingdom Hearts, had been the hardest thing Sora had ever had to face. How would he feel if he lost someone he _loved_?

His thoughts were interrupted in favor for one thing, and that was the sight of Riku and Tynan seated by the usual window table. Together. Being civil. _Not_ trying to kill each other. Riku had pushed his plate to the side, leaning his arms on the table to stare at the girl across from him in shock. He made room for Sora as his friend approached the table and the Keyblade Master was able to see exactly what Riku had been looking at.

Now Sora had seen London, had been told stories from the Beast about France, and had certainly seen Riku in his underpants. But he'd _never_ seen someone the size of the girl seated opposite him eat so much, so fast. Tynan had pulled her hair back and tucked it into her shirt, solely for the purpose of tucking a dozen pancakes into her mouth. She leaned over to stick her fork in another stack of pancakes, lifting it and shoveling on to her plate. With that she drenched them with syrup, piled them with whipped cream, sprinkled them with fruit and started all over again. She looked up at Sora as he cleared his throat, and swallowed.

"What?" She said, looking back and forth between Riku and Sora.

"You...sure do eat a lot." Sora said lightly, rubbing his own stomach as if trying to decide how so much food could fit in Tynan's.

The girl shrugged, turning back to her food. "Riku's paying."

The oldest teen sighed, swiping hair from his face in an annoyed fashion as Sora grinned at him. The brunette called the waitress over to order another round of pancakes, and Riku looked sadly down at his soon to be empty wallet. He listened only half heartedly as Sora described his battle in very intimate detail, waving his arms around and nearly knocking Riku's drink over twice. Tynan was listening attentively, leaning towards Sora with a large smile and seeming to temporarily forget about massacring her food. The silver haired boy allowed himself a small smile while they were too preoccupied to glance his way, relaxing into a forgotten state of contentment as their laughter surrounded him.

Something cold hit his face before he had even the slightest chance of defending himself, and he stared at the gooey substance that he'd wiped from his face before glancing up at the girl seating in front of him. She smiled wickedly, holding up the can of whipped cream for him to see and for a moment her act of playfulness brought Riku back to Destiny Islands. Too long. It had been too long since he'd been home, where things had been simple. He had a lot of good memories there. He'd told Sora they'd see Kairi, their friends and their parents again. But he'd never believed it.

For a moment, just a moment, he couldn't remember why he'd wanted to leave.

Sora took hold of a bottle of chocolate sauce, and as he took aim for Tynan's face and fired, as Tynan ducked her head with a small shriek and glared at Sora for his act of betrayal, as Riku suddenly felt genuinely happy, he realized letting go might not be so bad after all.

Maybe they would go home some day.

**Boring Scene Break (RIKURIKU)**

"Well, I have to say, you took quite a fall...Jat, was it?" Aerith smiled down at the man beside her encouragingly, pulling the thread through his skin as she attempted to stitch shut a wound on his forehead.

"I'll say!" The man cried, wincing as her needle pierced his skin. "That Shuyin guys is nuts!" (A/N: Cupcakes for anyone who can guess who Jat REALLY is. Ann, you know who Jat REALLY is!)

Shuyin, who was seated patiently across the medical tent, raised an eyebrow but remained silent. His fight against Jat had been fairly pointless; the man seemed more into the show of it since it had appeared he'd had no fighting skills whatsoever and had devoted most of his time to blowing kisses out at the crowd. He'd refrained from publically humiliating Jat too quickly, partly because he felt he recognized him somehow and partly because he was feeling humble today.

Aerith sighed, placing a bandage carefully over the wound. "I'm afraid I've ran out of Ibuprofen. Shuyin, would you mind running to the Items Shop and grabbing some for me?"

Shuyin shifted hesitantly, glancing at Jat with unease. He'd seen the way he'd been looking at her as she dressed his wounds, and it wasn't in a gee-thanks-for-kissing-my-boo-boos-better kind of way either. It was interesting how quickly he could make judgement of Jat's character, since he was sure they'd never met, and he thought it better not to mention his worries in face of Aerith's disapproval. Besides, she was smiling at him expectantly, and he was no better at resisting her kind smiles than anyone else.

He settled with a warning glare in Jat's direction as he passed under the door of the tent, and Jat turned to Aerith with quite a scandalized look.

"Yeesh!" Jat cried, crossing his arms over his chest. "What's his problem?"

Aerith smiled. "Nothing. He's just like that by nature."

Jat grinned, sliding along the bench towards her and slipping an arm around her waist. Aerith gasped and turned to stare at him, pushing his arm off her shoulder and standing. The young man grinned sheepishly at her.

"Hey, I saw you check me out earlier." He smirked, standing. "Don't pretend you weren't."

"Actually, I was watching Shuyin." She said cooly, taking a step back. "He's a friend."

He took hold of her wrist. "You don't like the way I look, is that it? I doubt it."

"Quite frankly, no." She hissed, struggling against his hold. "And I'm very much in love with someone else, if you would please back off."

"Oh, that's the problem!" Jat laughed. "I don't mind if you're taken. No one needs to know...it'll be out secret."

He grabbed her by the waist, and Aerith was just about to scream when a shadow moved quickly, too quickly for her to see, into the tent and Jat was sent flying. The young man yelled, sitting up and clutching his hand over his eye.

"You've got five seconds to get out before I break your neck!" Cloud seethed, standing in front of Aerith and carting the most murderous look either of them had ever seen.

Jat scrambled up and rushed past them, pausing in the doorway. "Hey, man, sorry! No offense meant, Miss!"

Cloud turned to her once Jat had gone. "Are you alright?"

"I-I think so!" She gasped, clutching onto the sleeves of his shirt. "Cloud, I–"

He took her by the shoulders and shook her. "You are not to stay with any man by yourself, do you understand me?"

She gasped, hurt under the strength of his hold. "I didn't mean to–"

"Men will take advantage of you the minute they have the chance!" He hollered, shaking her again. "_Men_, you understand?"

"That's an unfair generalization." She insisted crossly, breaking out of his hold. "But yes, I understand, so will you stop being so violent please?"

He stared at her for a good moment before she was yanked into his hold, the folds of his shirt inclosing her as she sobbed into his shoulder. His lips were in her hair, on her cheek, his hands flexing against her back. He whispered to her until she visibly calmed, lifting her head to return his kisses, lips drifting across his face.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, pulling back. "Shuyin told me you were alone with that guy and how he was looking at you and I just...I was so scared..."

She sniffed, resting her head on his shoulder again. "I was being calm and cool, just like you and Leon told me to but..."

"Forget what we said." He said desperately, touching her hair. "Next time just kick them where it hurts and scream."

She took hold of his face, looking up at him with a wet smile. "Thank you."

He tilted his head to kiss her palm. "I'm sorry if I scared you when I came in..I was kind of–"

"Are you kidding?" She exclaimed, yanking his head close with a grin. "That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen!"

He laughed, and it was a fantastic sound, and his mouth was right next to hers when the door flap rustled and they were forced to jump apart. Shuyin stood in the doorway, holding a bottle of Ibuprofen and looking as though he knew exactly what he'd walked in on and couldn't care less. He set the bottle on the table with the rest of the medication, giving them both a slight nod.

"You alright?" He asked her, bright blues slightly guilty. "I shouldn't have..."

"No, no, its alright." She said softly, smiling at him. "Thank you, Shuyin."

He shrugged and made to leave to tent.

"Wait!" Aerith called, and he paused. "Where are you going? I need to clean your wounds!"

"I don't have any, that guy was a pansy." He waved a hand, and waited for Cloud to finish laughing and for Aerith to stop looking so shocked. "And I'm going to go find out who he is and then beat him."

Cloud grinned. "Can I join you?"

Shuyin looked faintly surprised and then nodded. "Sure."

Aerith clapped her hands together excitedly. "Great! A bonding experience!"

And she shoved the both of them out of the tent before they could protest.

(A/N: That was an extreme slander to Jat...heheheh..)

**Intermission.**

Yuffie was accustomed to waking up in odd places; she'd been an active sleep walker since she was a child. Right now, her bones were aching in the most painful of places and she was curled in a most uncomfortable position. But she was warm, so very warm and safe, and it didn't really matter that she really didn't know where she was, really.

When she opened her eyes once the sleepy fog had cleared from her mind, she let out a small groan as she attempted to stretch and found that she couldn't. Her eyes opened a little wider as she struggled, panic rising in her throat as she realized she could do no more than twist her abdomen. Suddenly the bonds around her body tightened, air brushed her neck and she stilled.

"What are you doing?" A voice muttered slowly, and Yuffie felt the warmth against her back shift ever so slightly.

"Squall?" She blinked rapidly, taking in the balcony, the cheers of people below, the uncomfortable feeling of his thighs pressing into her butt and the white chair in which they sat. She realized she was lying completely over him, her back against his chest, her legs draping over his. She shifted and her skin tingled. His arms tightened.

"You were trying to sleep walk." He told her sleepily. She supposed he was trying to justify his tight hold on her. "You would've walked right off the side of the balcony."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep." She smiled in bemusement, turning her head ever so slightly to look at him. "This is the part in the script where you shove me off your lap and think of an interesting way to kill me."

"If I were going to do that, I would have done it already." He muttered, and she saw that his eyes had already closed. "And if I shoved you off my lap, I'd be cold."

Her breath hitched sharply, and she twitched so violently that her forehead smacked gently against his chin. He cracked a single eye open to look at her in mild annoyance, closing it again with a shrug as he shifted in the chair. She must have heard wrong. But Squall's arms lifted to wrap around her middle, pulling her back against him as if she were a blanket. That tingling shot over her skin once again, and it was all she could not to start trembling. She'd _hadn't _heard him wrong!

"This isn't comfortable." She said shakily. "The chair."

He shifted his head, brushing her cheek with his hair. "You're not comfortable?"

She was suddenly aware that she didn't want to move. "This...this is..I'm almost...raping you!"

He let out a chuckle, his chest vibrating against her back. "Raping me?"

"Yes!" She insisted, struggling against his arms. "You're only half-conscious. This is very, very unlike you and I'm taking advantage of your sleepy stupor!"

He looked at her. "Would you mind this if I wasn't in a sleepy stupor?"

She blushed and looked away. "I'd never be in the situation to know if you weren't."

Squall was silent for a long moment, and just as Yuffie mustered to courage to look at him she was flying through the air and landing very hard on her back. She spat the hair out of her mouth, glancing up in shocked indignation to find Squall watching her and chuckling again. She watched as he stood, stretching his arms and ruffling his mane of hair without the faintest sign of the fatigue that he'd been plagued. Something shot through her, a feeling so powerful she was short of breath, and she wondered vaguely when she'd lost control of the situation. It had only been yesterday when she'd decided to be more assertive!

"Squall?" She said, in a quivering voice she detested.

He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Leon?"

"Aren't you going to help me stand?" She demanded, flustered and angry with her embarrassment. He could be such a pig sometimes!

He smirked, pushing the screen door open and disappearing without another word. Yuffie stood and brushed herself off, the nails of her fingers digging into her palm as she clenched her fists. Confusing her like that! What a bastard.

"I hate you!" She called, stomping her foot.

Laughter floated from the open doorway. "Yeah? Take a number."

Taking a moment to choke on her own spit, she dashed to the doorway and peered inside, only to see him sprawled out over the bed. Leon did not allow her to sit on his lap, did not discuss the tangled web that was their relationship. She glanced over her shoulder to see if perhaps the apocalypse men were riding by, and when so no one, she came to a grim decision. He was seriously, seriously ill. More ill than she or Aerith had originally thought.

Yet as she settled down beside him on the bed, watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, she realized she knew Leon to a tee but despite her best efforts, did not know him any other way. Maybe, in a random twist of fate or simply a side effect of his illness...

Squall, who been fighting with Leon in the man's heart for so long, was winning.

Her hand floated through the air of its own accord, picking up the single curl that grew stubbornly at his nape despite his straw-straight hair, and twirled it around her finger. He opened his eyes in surprise, gazing up at her from beneath heavy lids. She continued to play with the hair, sweetness curving her lips upwards as he leaned his head into her hand.

She pulled her hand away and stared at it in confusion, as if it belonged to someone else. Someone who would play with Squall's hair without shyness or fear that he would maim her. But Squall hadn't protested once, hadn't even seemed to mind, and now he was watching her with that look that made her tremble-y and twitchy and not very Yuffie Kisaragi-like at all.

Oh yes. Squall Leonhart was very ill indeed.

"Y-you should be sleeping!" She squeaked, rolling away from him with trembling hands she attempted to hide behind her back.

He was still watching her. "I can't sleep."

She giggled in a rather high tone, fully aware of the fact that Squall had efficiently turned the tables on her since yesterday, and throughly dismayed by it.

"Of course you can sleep." She said, sitting up on to her knees and making to push off the bed. "You're sick."

He reached out a lazy arm and caught her wrist, pulling her down on the bed beside him as he had before, his arm slipping over her back. Those less-than-platonic feelings assaulted her again, and she trembled silently as she stared into his face, so close to hers. Her mind fogged, and she could think of only one thing that would calm her nervousness, and she knew immediately that solution was coming from her body overpowering her mind. She knew how she felt, his face was so close to hers, his breath fanning over her cool cheeks...

"I have mono." He said quietly, and she opened her eyes to realize she had closed them, that she had leaned towards him and his lips were scathe inches from hers. He should have pushed her away, that was something they both knew, but he remained perfectly still, eyes studying her face as if she were the last living thing.

"R-right." She said quickly, fumbling with her hands. "S-sorry."

She jumped when his gloved fingers touched her cheek, tracing over her freckles in such a delicate matter that Yuffie started to feel warm inside, and calmed significantly. She returned his gaze, taking in the opportunity he was giving her and the slow, uneasy promise blooming in the depths of his eyes.

"I'm still cold." He commented, pausing his finger's journey across her face.

She smiled, allowed him to pull her close, and decided that maybe Sick Squall wasn't such a scary thing after all.

**Made ya look!**

* * *

Woot!

I love my scene breaks!

Riku and Tynan: make out

Ann: gropes Riku

Tynan: Chases after her with Frying Pan of Doom

Me: laughs evily Just kidding, Ann, there will be more groping. All of you, please review, or the blond gets it!

Tidus, Gippal,Zell, Cloud,Seifer and Shuyin:...Which one?

Black socks never get dirty. Remember that.


	11. Song

Sea Salts to Heal.

Disclaimer: I co-own Riku, but only in spirit. I could write a poem about it but I'm awful at poetry. Hitler was one uncool dude. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Sometimes I wish I could fly. My room is disgustingly messy, and so I don't own Your Song by Elton John. Now Elton John, HE is one cool dude.

A/N: So here it is! Finally, I know. I don't really like this chapter at all but, I HAD to get SOMETHING up, so I hope you enjoy it at least.

Shoutouts: Oh, I love you all, but I can't do shoutouts now because I have to shower. No one likes a dirty Squffie writer! That's what my mother said to me. Anyway, I'll double shift it next time, because there are a lot of things I need to answer to!

I LOOOVEEE YOU!

Another chapter half-dedicated to Ann, because I totally psyched you out and completely changed the Tyku-ness. Love ya, darlin'

* * *

Aerith smiled at the man seated across from her and thought, yet again, she couldn't believe she was doing this. The August air was thick and moist, tinged with the unmistakable smell of alcohol and vomit. She loved Squall like a brother, but _really_. There were limits to the lengths she would go to celebrate his birthday, and serving alcohol to the unstable people of Traverse Town was one of them. She glanced around the Café, studying every drunken brawl and unconscious face, and noticed that Squall wasn't even present.

"Curse that man." She muttered, swiping a dirty shot glass with a towel. "Cloud is thoughtful enough to throw him a party, and he doesn't even show up with vomit for me to clean up."

If anything made her feel better, it was Jat, who had approached her quickly at the party's start and apologized for his behaviour during the Fighting Tournament a few weeks before. Then Cloud had arrived, chasing the young man away with a growl. The blond hadn't left her side since.

Which of course she didn't mind, except Cloud was a very, very, sad drunk.

"Tifa used to do that." He murmured, blinking up at her from where his head rested on the counter. "Clean glasses."

"She taught me everything I know. About cleaning glasses." Aerith replied lightly, serving something to a woman and returning the odd look she received with a bright smile. "Cloud, I warned you not to drink so much."

"I know. And you're just--"

At this point he began to cry, leaning over the table and drifting his lips across her face. Aerith clutched the sleeves of his shirt, shooting an apologetic look at Cid (who immediately took her place) before swinging herself daintily over the countertop. Cloud's barriers were down, and she knew that as she pulled him into the backroom of the Café and held him as he cried, that he would wake up the next morning feeling much better.

* * *

"Well, what a surprise. You really need to find a better hiding spot, Squall."

Squall glanced at Yuffie through their reflection in the water. She stood with two hands on her hips, a knowing smile on her face as she watched him watch her. His heart gave a funny little jolt and he rolled his eyes at himself, splashing his face with the mucky water.

"I wasn't hiding." He told her, ignoring her disgusted protests.

"Oh?" She poked him. "Your birthday party is all happening, and you're all here and not at your party? I'd call that hiding."

He snorted. "Most of the people there aren't even there for me. Its just an opportunity for them to get drunk."

"Hey, I'm not judging you!" She said, even though she was. "You shouldn't be drinking anyway, in your condition."

"_In my condition_ " He mimicked, raising an eyebrow as he finally turned to face her. "You're turning into Aerith."

She huffed, plopping down onto the damp rock beneath her feet and pulling off her shoes so she could put her feet in the water. Squall watched her uncertainly; unsure of how he should act around her. Which was insane, because this was _Yuffie_. Baby girl, happy-lucky, Ninja-not-Cute-As-A-Button Yuffie. And yet now…

"Squall? Hullooo!" She waved her arms around wildly. "Sit down, would ya?"

"I…" He glared at his feet. "I'll get my pants dirty."

"Translation: Yuffie, you're the hottest thing with two legs and I wouldn't be able to control myself if I were that close to you?" She smiled up at him, and he knew she was teasing, but he couldn't help feeling a little miffed.

" _You _the hottest thing on two legs." He scoffed, dumping himself on the ground, leather pants be Damned. "Out of your mind…"

"Oh, I'm glad you're feeling better!" She said sarcastically. "What happened to you telling me that I was the prettiest girl in Traverse?"

"Yuffie, you were twelve and stupid when I told you that. Besides, I never said you weren't pretty." He rolled his eyes but opened his arms and legs when Yuffie moved over from her rock to curl up against his chest, and it became absolutely official that something had changed between them over the coarse of his illness.

"I got you something." She said softly, after a long moment of comfortable silence. She took one arm from its resting spot on his leg to dig around in the pocket of her shorts. With a small, triumphant sound she pulled out a small box and handed it to him. "Happy Birthday."

"You got me a ring?" He asked, staring incredulously at the tiny package in his hand.

"Not just any ring, silly." She poked him and smiled. "Open it up and see!"

He hesitantly complied, snapping open the velvet box and pulling out the tiny object. He stared at the piece of jewellery in his palm, the light that shone off its bright silver as it glinted. Yuffie smiled contently and rested her head against his neck, looking at the ring as well.

"Yuffie." Squall whispered, his voice hoarse. "Where did you get this?"

"I found it right after you lost it." She told him, taking the ring to examine it more closely. "When you got that big burn on your hand from the Red Nocturnes and Aerith had to melt it off? She threw it away, but I knew how much it meant to you so I got it out of the trash. Then I got the Moogles to fix it."

"When?" He couldn't believe he had missed this.

"Years ago." She yawned, handing the ring back to him. "But I had to find the perfect time to give it back to you. Its…Griever, right?"

"Yeah." He said softly, slipping it on to his finger. Yuffie began to chatter incessantly but he wasn't listening. Her gesture was anything but casual. Yuffie had known how much he'd loved that ring when not even Aerith had. Yuffie, who couldn't have been much older than fifteen at the time, had bothered to get it fixed just for him. And she'd just spent the last month and a half caring for him…

"Eep! Squall!"

"Thank you." He breathed into her neck. He heard her let out a small breath of her own. She shifted around until she was comfortable in his tight hold on her waist; she was never prepared when Squall decided to sporadically hug her. But she held on just as tightly to him as he was her, petting the sleeves of his arm and listening to him breath. She knew how much this meant to him.

"Anything for you, Squall."

_"I hope you don't mind. I hope you don't mind that I put down in words  
how wonderful life is now you're in the world."_

Riku breathed in the night air, throwing his arms out as he spun in circles. The stone ground of the Alley was smooth against his feet as he moved, although a few pebbles had snuck into his shoes, but he didn't care. Tynan sat off to the side, dangling her legs off the side of a crate and trying to be as quiet as possible. Riku was happy…Riku was _singing_.

_"So excuse me forgetting but these things I do. You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue."_

She watched as he danced around, unsure of what to do and feeling very awkward indeed. What was one to do with a happy, singing Riku? She'd only just learned to deal with him while he was mean and broody. It was just like Riku to use alcohol as a weapon against her.

Very suddenly, with a snap of his neck, Riku seemed to notice her perched on the wooden crate, and smiled in a way that scared her. She winced as Riku grinned, twirling his way over to her and taking her hand.

"What are you doing?" He asked, as if the fact that she wasn't dancing was the oddest thing he'd ever seen.

"What do you mean, what am I doing?" She snapped, letting out a high pitched yelp as the silver haired boy pulled her off the crate and into his arms, spinning her around as he tilted his head up to the sky.

_" I know it's not much but it's the best I can do. My gift is my song and this one's for you."_

"What are you doing!" She yelled, struggling against him, but he held her tight.

"Dance with me!" He grinned, taking hold of her arms and wrapping them around his neck. Tynan blushed fiercely.

"Stop it, Riku!" She demanded, but Riku smiled lazily and swept her off the ground, twirling her around with such a look of such pure joyfulness that she couldn't help but lose her aggravation. He stumbled a bit after a few spins, letting her drop to her feet. She stumbled a bit out of dizziness and he held her upright. She gave him a tiny annoyed smile and he laughed wildly and began to sing again.

_"Anyway the thing is what I really mean. Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen."_

"You're drunk." She accused, sensing the lack of the usual stiffness in his shoulders and the smell of whatever he'd been drinking on his breath.

"What makes you think that?" He sounded genuinely curious, amused but a little off-hand as he concentrated on swaying her from side to side.

"Well, you're not brooding, for one thing." She said, ticking off her fingers behind his head. "And you're relaxed, and not being a jerk and you're _singing_."

"A guy's not allowed to sing?" He asked innocently. Tynan shot him a look and he laughed. "Okay, I'm a little tipsy. Anyway, my thinking is you're a little under the influence yourself."

"I'm not!" Tynan insisted, shocked and appalled. "I haven't been drinking anything, I--"

"Oh, I see." He smiled again, amused, and pulled her even closer, ignoring the little squeaky noise she made. "So you're dancing with me and _not_ abusing me on your own free sober will?"

"_No_, you--"

But Riku clamped a hand over her mouth, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to the ground with him before she could even get a word in. There he flung his arms and legs, taking as much space as possible in order to squish Tynan against the wall. She grumbled and moved to ease her way up, but Riku looked at her softly and she paused, startled.

"Tynan, we've been friends for awhile now, right? Three weeks, yes?"

She blinked, leaning back against the wall. "Yes…"

He turned his face to the sky, and she was surprised to see he looked perfectly serious. "So you think it would be alright for you to maybe relax around me sometimes?"

"No." She replied immediately. "Then you'd get me while I wasn't looking, and I'd end up super-glued to Sora with no clothes on."

Riku flushed. It'd had to be _that_ particular dream that Sora and Tynan had learned about his habit of talking in his sleep.

"Hey, I'm being serious!" He insisted. "You were more comfortable around me when you hated me!"

"Well, that—" She stopped, and took time to flush and look away until Riku had to clear his throat with impatience. "Back then I didn't really--"

She took a deep breath and just as easily changed the subject, and Riku gave her a look that she pretended to miss.

"What ballad were you singing?" She asked, a bit guiltily. "I've never heard it before."

He laughed. "That wasn't a ballad. It was a song."

"A song…"

"You know…like a song you hear on the radio?"

She scrunched her nose in ultimate confusion. "A what?"

"A radio…the electronic box that plays music and news announcements through tiny little speakers…" He paused. How to explain electricity to someone who had never used it? "Anyway, its called Your Song."

"Your Song." Tynan repeated, her accent heavily weighing on her new word and she nodded. "You know it well, huh? Was it your favourite?"

He shook his head. "It was Kairi's favourite. She used to sing it all the time."

"Ah."

A moment, then…

"You miss her?"

He shrugged. "I'm used to it now. But sometimes little things remind me of her, and I start to think of her more."

"You loved her?" Tynan rolled on to her arms, resting her head as she watched Riku fidget and bite his lip as he contemplated his answer. She hoped to meet Kairi one day. A girl who was so well loved by both Riku _and_ Sora…

"I think I did." He answered honestly, after awhile. "Maybe like a sister. I don't know. I cared for her so much but…I never loved her like Sora did. Or still does."

He sighed loudly, and then turned to look at her, a smirk lighting up his features. "And hey, look who's relaxing!"

"Riku…" She said quietly, for once ignoring the bait.

"Let's get back to the party, okay?" He stood, and he actually looked uncomfortable. "Sora has probably poisoned somebody by now."

"Wait!" She stood as well, tripping over her own feet as she reached out to wrap her arms around his waist. Riku started, his breath leaving him from both shock and the strength of her arms. Her cheeks were hot against his neck, and she squeezed too tightly and it was probably the most uncomfortable embrace he'd ever received. But the gesture alone was enough.

"C-cheer up, okay?" She murmured, and took off down the alleyway so fast it took him a moment to regain his senses.

"H-hey!" He called after her, and she stopped. His heart pounded. "You…uh…you never…you didn't hear the whole song!"

"Oh." She walked back and sat down on the wooden crate, swinging her legs and looking up at him as if he were a paid performer. He shook his head and resisted the urge to slap himself, finally reaching out his arms to her.

"Can I have another hug first?" He asked, and felt oddly smug as her face lit red. "I kinda liked that."

She stood and stomped over to him and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'you really _are_ drunk' but this time she hugged him properly and her hair was mussed and her face got all hot again and he suddenly couldn't care less if Sora poisoned the entire Town.

* * *

The boy lay in the dark, staring dully at the large trophy sitting on the hearth across him. It didn't mean a thing at all, the stupid hunk of metal, and it probably would have made someone else a lot happier. He sighed and turned his back to it, pressing his face into a pillow even though it was hot and sweat-soaked and uncomfortable.

"Shuyin?"

He looked up at the door; the Keyblade master stood with a blanket draped over him and it struck Shuyin as funny that such an entity could look so childish.

"Did you need something, Sora?" He asked, sitting up fully and clicking the light on.

"Um, not really." The brunette shuffled forward and sat on the edge of the bed. "I kind of just wanted to talk."

"Ah." Shuyin nodded and made room for the younger boy to lie down. Sora lay down, ignoring the shock he felt that the Blitzer hadn't turned him away. The blond watched him expectantly, and Sora sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I can't stand it anymore…"

* * *

**winces**

Well, guys, there ya have it!

Umm…please review?


	12. Promise

**_Sea Salts to Heal._**

**Disclaimer**: Woooow, maaan. It's like, totally not mine, maaaan. Don't know how it got here, maaaan. I don't smoke or own anything like KH or FF or anything else that couldn't possibly belong to me that's in this fic, maaaan. Like…woooah.

**A/N:** WOW GUYS! It feels like its been three months….

WOW GUYS! It HAS been three months!

**runs away from pitchforks** Yeah, I know. But you have no idea what a happy feeling it was to be riding home on the bus today and actually having the muse to write. Whether it was writers block or the summer, it does not matter because I'm BACK!

**First Order of Business**: If any of the characters seem different from the last time I wrote? I blame Debeo Memoria, the RP site of ultimate coolness. You can check it out at Debeo Memoria's author page. But…Riku is gay and Cloud's bipolar, and Yuffie just stabbed Leon because she thought he was being controlled by Cloud who is being controlled by Sephiroth, so you can see how I had to settle myself back into the SSTH characters.

**Second Order of Business:** The relation going on between Squall and Yuffie kind of came from me watching **Gravitation** for three days straight. Or, mostly just the clingy Yuffie part. Shuichi, anyone?

**Third Order of Business**: Um…what was it again…woah…oh yeah! The music in the scene change brackets is I Knew I Love You Before I Met You by Savage Garden, and has nothing to do with the story. Its just the song in my favourite Gravitation AMV!

**Fourth Order of Business:** Riku, Sora and Bert: **take deep breaths** HAP HAP HAP, HAP HAP HAP HAP HAP HAPPY! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THIS IS YOUR SPECIAL DAY (Two days ago) HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TO SAY, HEY! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUUUUE (Riku in a speedo.) HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FROM ALL OF US TO YOU, HEY!

**Wishing a very happy birthday to Annjirika, whoceleb-a-ra-t-o-to-ringtwo days ago, and who this chapter is, once again, dedicated to. There is a special surprise in here for you Ann, and your Yuriku should be coming along soon!**

And, for the first time in three months, heeeere we go!

* * *

Sora stepped carefully into the shower, turning the knob until it was just a little more hot than he could stand and wincing as the spray washed over him. He turned to the small bathroom window looking out at the Second District, his arms resting against the tiny sill. The steam was rising fast around him and he wrenched the window open, breathing in the cool morning air and watching as the sky turned purple from black. Another day.

Another day…

**(Maybe its intuition...)**

"Hey, have you seen Aerith?"

Leon choked on a mouthful of hot coffee as a warm hand touched his shoulder blade, whirling around in his seat so see an amused and slightly fearful Yuffie looking back at him. She rubbed his back encouragingly as he spluttered, making tiny cooing noises she knew would annoy him, until finally he calmed enough to breath properly and glare fifteen years of life out of her. She smiled and took the seat opposite him.

"Mornin', kid." She drawled in her best Cid voice. "Got surmthin' special in yer coffee?"

Leon waved around his head as if swatting at a fly, refusing to take the bait. He breathed and sat in silence, glared at his coffee, looked around, shifted a bit and then said grudgingly, "_Don't_ sneak up on me like that."

She giggled. "Yeah, yeah. I know you hate it. And I wasn't _sneaking_. This is a perfectly public area and I saw you from across the District and thought 'Well, ain't that interesting, its Squall at the Café and he's drinking _coffee_ of all things. And it's not like he _screams_ hostility or anything, so maybe I'll go over and engage him in friendly conversation—'"

"Its too early for this." Leon muttered, cupping his hands around the warmth of his mug and pushing his chair back. He stood, throwing a few pieces of munny on the table, and made to leave the Café. But he barely took two steps before Yuffie threw herself at him, clinging to his side.

"Nooo, Leeeooon!" She whined, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "Stay, I want to spend time with you!"

Spend time with me? As if two months of nursing wasn't enough… 

Leon looked down at her, and she was oh so cutely nestled to him, hands running up and down his back, pleading brown eyes he knew would be his undoing…

"Oh, _fine_." He muttered, pushing her away just a little so he could breathe. He kept his hands on her waist and looked at her seriously. "But no talking."

"Promise! If you get me hot chocolate." She said happily, leaning up to kiss the stubble running along his chin. "I like holding you when you're standing up and not delirious."

And there it was. The verbal affirmation that maybe, possibly, despite all odds and his denial, they'd skipped just a little bit from barely friends to…lovers? He didn't know. He _couldn't _know, because he wasn't even sure he knew what it felt like anymore. His first love had always been pulling him from the darkness in his heart, filling him with affection and kind words that attempted but failed to keep him from going back. His second, a mass of confusion and hard feelings that _forced_ him out of his shadows, made him _feel_ too much to think of anything else. But this…with Yuffie…without the drama of Rinoa, the passion of Seifer, or any of the empty faces in the dark… Yuffie hadn't let him slip away for one second, and it was in that imprisonment that he'd clung to her, or they'd clung to each other. He didn't know. It had snuck past him when he hadn't been watching.

Nor, he realized as he lifted his arms and wrapped them around her tiny frame, did he particularly care.

"If this is going to continue," He said softly, tucking her head under his chin. "We have to get it straight that it will _always_ be me holding _you._"

"Aww." She pulled back and pouted indignantly. "You always get to be the man…"

"Height rule." He said seriously, his lips twitching. "And, hello, I _am_ a man?"

"Hah, so you say!" She replied, skipping back to her seat. "Never seen anything to prove it."

"Oh yeah?" He sat down in his own seat and raised an eyebrow, bringing the coffee to his lips. "You can buy your own hot chocolate then…"

Yuffie looked up at him, and he moulded his features into a solemn expression, shaking his head as she opened her mouth to plead.

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Sorry."

"Squuaaaall! I spent all of my munny on your birthday present!" She exclaimed, pounding her fists into the table.

"What? You did _not_."

"So what? Please!"

"No!"

"But I love you…"

Leon paused at this, giving his coffee a funny look as he pondered over how to react to such a statement, if she was serious, and what her loving him really had anything to do with him refusing her hot chocolate. Taking his silence as another refusal, Yuffie huffed and slouched into her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fine! I'll sit here and _stare_, and I know I stare at you most of the time but this time it will be even more annoying than before because I'll twitch while doing it and I won't ever stop talking, even when you ask! No sir, I'll talk, chatter, babble, rant and go on and on and on and--"

Her tirade was halted immediately as Leon leaned across the table and brushed her cheek, his lips touching hers in a soft kiss. It was perfectly chaste, but Yuffie felt it tingle all through her body just the same, his mouth a deliriously warm weight on her bottom lip. Then he pulled back, and she was stupid and he was smiling, and the waitress brought a hot chocolate minutes later, smiling too, and Yuffie was perfectly content to stay quiet after that.

**(Some things you just don't question...)**

"Hey, have you seen Sora?"

Riku jumped a foot, and whirled around to face an unhappy looking Shuyin leaning against the doorframe. One might question what had caused normally stoic Shuyin to become angry. Riku wondered what the hell Shuyin was doing in his doorway. And also when Shuyin had learned to talk.

"Um…not since this morning." Riku said offhandedly, reaching behind the bedside table to pull out his sword. "Why?"

Shuyin's jaw visibly clenched, but Riku didn't notice, to busy twirling his sword around. The older teen could tell he was in a hurry from the way he kept leaning impatiently from foot to foot, but there was no way Shuyin was going to let him go so easy.

"You haven't been spending much time with him lately, have you?" He said coolly, straightening.

Riku blinked in surprise. Since when had Shuyin bothered to notice how much time they spent together?

"What? I just said I saw him this morning…"

The blond snorted. "You think--"

"They're waiting for me." Riku interrupted and darted to the back door before Shuyin could protest or even question who 'they' were. "I'll…um… talk to you later, okay?"

Shuyin's frown deepened.

**(Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant...)**

"Hey, have you seen Shu--"

"_Shh_!" Cloud hissed at a bewildered Aerith, waving at her with a hand as he focused the lens on the tiny, black contraption in his hands. A closer inspection proved them to be binoculars, and he young brunette peered over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. Just in the distance was the apartment complex and startled, Aerith followed the direction of Cloud's head to see he was looking into someone's window.

She gasped and pulled the binoculars from his hand. "Cloud!"

"Hey!" He protested, trying to snatch them back. She held them just out of arm's reach, and he frowned at her. She frowned back. "Come on, Aer, it was just getting good!"

"You can't spy through people's windows!" She insisted, frowning back at him. "You _can't_!"

"Oh, come on, its Rikku and Gippal, its not like they do anything in private they don't already do in public!" He held out his hands and grinned. "Public break-ups, public make-ups, public attempted murders, public hand—"

"Oh, alright, I get the point!" She tossed him the binoculars, and sat down beside him with a huff. She still didn't think it was right for him to spy, but she couldn't very well argue with that. Those two _were_ rather… immodest. "But isn't it kind of sad you don't have anything else to do with your time?"

"Traverse Town is just as dull as it was yesterday." He replied, grinning as he peered back into the binoculars. "What else should I be doing?"

"Oh…say, spending time with me?" She told him, crossing her arms as her eyebrows arched high. Cloud looked up from his spying and blinked over shocked, she was satisfied to see, into silence. Then he grinned and took hold of her wrist. Ignoring her squeal of protest he pulled her into his lap, kissing the side of her neck teasingly.

"_Or_," he murmured playfully, holding the binoculars out to her. "You _could_ spend time with _me_ and spy on Gippal and Rikku!"

"No, Cloud! I--" She fell silent as Cloud shoved the contraption in front of her eyes, and Rikku and Gippal's apartment came into clear view. "I…I…uh…wow. How do they do _that_?"

Cloud chuckled and slipped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Exactly what I was trying to figure out."

((A/N: I leave it to the choice and the imagination of the reader to decide what Rikku and Gippal were up to. ))

**(And there it goes, I think I found my best friend...)**

"Hey, have you seen Riku?"

Cid rubbed the back of his head, startled with the urgency in Tynan's voice. The young girl was panting, her voice high and her eyes bright with worry. What the heck was going on to get the kid so worked up? And _had_ he seen Riku?

"Walked by with a coupl'a girls not ten minutes ago." He said finally, pleased that his mind was still kicking. "Heading to the Third District, I think. Said something about trainin' and--"

Tynan was out the door before the older man could even finish his sentence, sprinting across the District as fast as she could, legs straining painfully. She had only run this fast and desperately once in her life, and as she pulled open the door, she felt her hot stop.

Riku wasn't there.

"Riku!" She cried, squinting through the rain. "RIKU!"

**(I know that it might sound more than a little crazy, but I believe...)**

"Hey, have you _seen_ this guy?" A tiny, gasping girl wiped sweat from her brow, flinging her sword to the side and poked her friend in the arm. Her tall companion grinned and swiped her own hair back, looking over their teacher with a mock suggestive eye.

"Have I _seen_ him?" She repeated, propping her sword against the ground. "A better question would be why I haven't tied him down and molested him yet."

"You _did_ molest me, Ann." Their teacher reminded her, with the air of someone who'd heard such things too many times. "And took pictures of me from behind…"

"Correction, I _groped_ you. There's a _difference._" Ann insisted, pulling her jacket from around her waist and tossing it over her shoulders. "Besides, Bert here is the one who took the pictures."

"Ugh, I told you not to call me that in front of other people!" The younger girl cried, stomping her foot in a puddle. She grimaced and shook out her foot, glaring at her friend. "People are gonna think my name is…like…_Bertick_ or something. Besides, the pictures were your idea and it was your camera…"

Riku laughed and pulled the tie from his hair, letting the rain rinse it of sweat. "Enough, ladies. You know I'm already spoken for."

It had been by chance he'd met these two girls, walking to the Items Shop to buy potions for Aerith. He'd just seen them out of the corner of his eye in time, backed up against the wall and fighting weakly against two muggers, both of whom were big and bulky. He'd fought the men off, and soon learned these girls were from a World where there _was_ no fighting. He'd offered to teach them, happy to take a chance to relieve him of Traverse Town's usual boredom and angst, and they'd quickly become acquainted.

"Yeeeah." Ann grumbled, standing up fully and tucking her sword into her belt. As Riku's best girlfriends, obviously they would know all about the girl Riku had fallen for. "I just wish you'd hurry up and make a move, so the rest of us can stop hoping."

"Hey, I stopped hoping when he told me he sleeps in the same bed as that guy…" Bert commented, hurrying over to pick up her sword as the rain started to pick up. "Kooky or kinky? Hard to tell…"

Riku sighed and waved them off. "See you tomorrow, lovelies. Same time, same place."

"You know it, babe." Ann called from over her shoulder as the two girls ran into the District, arms covering their heads. "Hey, come less dressed tomorrow!"

Riku chuckled, and then grimaced up at the sky as thunder began to roll. He ran through the rain and ducked under the excess roof of the Shops, listening to the rain beating against the drainpipe. He grinned and slid down the wall, tucking in his legs as he watched the rainfall. Rainy season back home had always been his favourite, even if it kept their adventures inside.

His grin soon faded, and he rest his chin on his knees, memories haunting him and keeping him from enjoying the rain.

Sora… 

"Riku!" A voice called faintly from the District below, and he jumped to his feet. "RIKU!"

"Tynan?" He said to himself, stepping into the rain. He saw her standing near the fountain, looking around her desperately. She was completely drenched… "Hey, Tynan!"

Her head snapped in his direction, and he saw her gasp, running to the edge of the court and shouting up to him. "You have to come back to the Hotel! Its Sora!"

His heart jumped. "Sora? What happened?"

"We…we don't know! He's having a panic attack or something!" Her voice was laced with panic, and it broke over the last few words. "Riku, please! You have to come now!"

The distance to the Second District and the Hotel was the longest distance Riku had ever had to run. Everything seemed to be in slow motion; the rain, Tynan's hair whipping around her face as she ran ahead of him, the pounding in his heart.

_Not now, not now, please…_

**(I knew I loved you before I met you...I think I dreamed you into life...)**

When they reached the Hotel and finally Sora, something shattered in Riku's heart so violently that for a moment he couldn't breathe. It was a sight and a feeling he had hoped he would never experience again, one he hadn't had to experience in eight years. Their bed had been taken apart, pillows and blankets strewn around the room. A broken lamp lay shattered on the ground, and beside it a distraught Sora struggling against Shuyin's strong hold, arms and legs kicking. He was crying.

"Sora!" Yuffie was yelling from the bed, hands covering her mouth in horror. "Sora, stop it!"

Riku spoke quietly, keeping his eyes on Sora, and held up his hand. Leon sat on the bare mattress beside her and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She quieted, biting her lip as she watched the silver haired teen approach his best friend slowly, hesitating occasionally as Sora's head turned his way. Finally, he bent down beside Shuyin and touched Sora's face.

"Sora." He said softly, keeping his hand in place as the young brunette struggled against his touch. "Sora? It's Riku."

"Riku!" He cried, kicking his legs out. "Letmegoletmegoletmego…"

Shuyin took his arms from around his waist and released him, stepping back. Everyone watched, startled, as Sora threw himself into his best friend's arms, tugging violently at the back of his shirt. Riku breathed slowly as he held Sora close, running a hand soothingly through his hair.

"Riku." Sora breathed, shaking his head. "Riku, they're trying to hurt me."

"They're not trying to hurt you." Riku told him gently, using his other hand to rub Sora's back. "They're your friends. I promise. Friends won't hurt you."

"You hurt me." Sora replied, and it was clear from his voice that he was no longer terrified, but angry. His hand reached up and gripped Riku's hair tightly, tugging it sharply. "You're my greatest friend and you hurt me."

"Friends don't hurt each other." Riku repeated, wincing as the hand in his hair tightened. "I promise."

"You promise, you promise." Sora mocked him, curling his free hand into a fist and pounding it roughly into Riku's chest. Riku groaned, and Sora hit him again, again and again. "You hurt me, you hurt me, _you_ _hurt me_!" He burst into tears again and sobbed into Riku's chest, fist still beating weakly. Riku took the hand and held it tightly.

Sora looked up, eyes fully blue and filled with terrible pain. "Why…why wasn't I good enough for you?"

Riku met his eyes, and a tear dripped down his cheek. "You are."

"I wasn't before!"

"You were. You always were." Riku yanked him close again, holding him to his neck and crying into his hair. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry…"

"But you broke your promise." Sora whispered weakly, tears dripping into the collar of Riku's shirt.

"I love you." Riku kissed the top of his head and held him closer. "I love you, I love you, and I'm never going anywhere again."

Sora tucked himself against Riku's chest and listened to his heart beat, the steady rhythm quieting his tears as the sound and Riku's warmth lulled him to sleep. "…you won't?"

Riku shook his head and Sora smiled in his last moment of consciousness. "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah." Riku murmured quietly, kissing his hair again. "Time to go home."

He knew Sora was asleep from the warm, level breathing on his neck and something eased within him. He tucked his arm under Sora's legs and picked him up, carrying him easily over to the bed and placing him on the bare mattress. He tugged the strewn blanket up to the sleeping boy's shoulders and then sat beside him, running a hand through his hair again.

After a few silent minutes he looked up and found six pairs of eyes on him, waiting for an explanation he wasn't sure he was ready to give.

**(I knew I loved you before I met you, I have been waiting all my life...)**

* * *

**_looks up and sees reader's eyes on author, waiting for an explanation she's not sure she's ready to give._**

Looooooooooove you all! Please Review!


	13. Returning

"Sea Salts to Heal."

Disclaimer: I do believe in fairies, I do! I do! I do believe in fairies, I do! I do! I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Final Fantasy or any of their characters, but I do believe in fairies, I do! I do!

Disclaimer2:The song used in the section break is "Iris" by Goo Goo dolls, which I also do not own.

Howdy, folks!

A/N: **sweatdrops** Woooow. I kind of figured people would be questioning the scene between Sora and Riku, but I had no idea so many people would misunderstand it or, in some cases, react negatively. I didn't want to leave a note at the end of last chapter explaining it, since I wanted to leave it up to you guys how to interpret it but…it seems now I _will_ have to explain in. Which is okey doke. I like talking!

I wouldn't put it past myself, but would _you_ guys honestly expect me to _suddenly_ make it a Soriku? Like, "Tynan, I thought I was in love with you, but really all you did was make me realize I was secretly gay and in love with Sora all along?" or "I've been pining over Kairi for so long…but Riku, I have a thing for…uh…red heads. So, come here, baby."

The funny thing is, I probably _would_ do something like that. Just not in this particular story…heh. But I _do_ understand how easy it would be to think that. I mean, you don't know what's in _my_ head…well, Annjirika does, but that's beside the point…and it _did_ have all the elements of a romantic scene. (Despite the fact that…well…it came out of nowhere.)

Now, in order to help explain, it is time for an embarrassing confession: I used to be a huge Yu-gi-oh fan. I'm sure some of you were too (Or still are!). But for those of you who are not, I shall explain. In one of the seasons, the main character Yugi is forced to fight against his best friend. The best friend, Jonouchi (or Joey in the English Dub.), was being mind controlled by sexy, evil, Egyptian diabolical teen Malik (Marik in English Dub.), and was not really evil at all. However, Malik had had both of them chained to an anchor, that was made to drag the loser to the bottom of the ocean, or _both_ of them dragged into the ocean if they didn't finish the duel in half of one hour.

Anyone confused? What does this have anything to do with my story? _Well_!

In the end, when Jonouchi regains control over his mind, Yugi sacrifices himself and purposely loses the duel so that _he_ is dragged to the bottom and not Jonouchi. Jonouchi protests, cries, and tries to talk Yugi out of it. And what does Yugi do? Yugi smiles and says:

"I love you, Jonouchi."

Now. Are Yugi and Jonouchi gay? Certainly not. Well…at least not with _each other_. **Snickers **Ahem.

Or, for those less anime-inclined, try taking the relationship between Frodo and Sam of LOTR. Seems like love to me.

But what I'm trying to say is that I was always really fond of that scene, the _idea_ that two people, who aren't family, can love each other and not be _in_ love. On a personal level, I've always liked that between Sora and Riku. I'm sure many of you haven't, but I think the idea is plausible. They've been friends since child hood; they know each other inside out. They're inseparable, right? (Until, of course, Riku goes deushbag and decides he's really not afraid of the darkness. Yeah, sure.)

So, I guess in a sense, you can take Riku's "I love you." And change it to "I'm really, really, really fond of you." But I'm not gonna do that for you, because that would be going against…uh…my ideas and…um…stuff.

So I'll come out and say: Riku and Sora are not in love. Not in _this_ story, at least. Sora is still in love and pining over Kairi, and Riku still feels funny in his tingly places over Tynan. None of that has changed.

Now I'm gonna hope this chapter helps to clear that up some. .

I'm also going to hope this story doesn't get deleted because it has such a huge author's note…so, moderators of the deleting story kind, please take into consideration that this note was crucial to the understanding of the story. And uh….have a candy cane.

A/N the second: Well, if any of you want to discuss _anything_ with me, please don't hesitate in sending me an email.

This chapter is dedicated to **White Evergreen**, who delivered me my first _real_ constructive criticism-filled review. I want to thank you so much for taking the time to write it. Please know how much I appreciated your opinion!

And uh…**Annjirika. **Heck, this entire _story_ is dedicated to **Annjirika. (glomps)**

* * *

**Yuffie** slowly pushed open the door and peaked her head in to find that Sora was still sleeping. He slept the sleep of the exhausted, legs and arms spread, body buried in his beddings, breathing deeply. Riku had been very serious in telling them they'd need to check on him frequently, that someone would need to be with him when he awoke. But, it seemed to Yuffie, Sora wouldn't be waking up any time soon. A well Sora slept open mouthed and snored, drooled all over his pillow and woke up on the opposite end of his bed. But a sick, sad or tired Sora slept still, spent. She remembered from the Heartless years there were times when he'd come back from a battle and slept for days.

But what…what was wrong with him now? An emotional breakdown, after everything he'd been through wasn't exactly surprising but…why now? Why not months ago? If Sora had been holding all that inside…

She shut the door quietly behind her and turned, brushing her feet carefully along the hall, so not to disturb him. She prided herself in knowing exactly where the floorboards creaked, and the only person to notice her arrival was Cloud and his seriously in tuned senses, ones that she liked to credit to their childhood together. Cloud had been her most favourite baby sitter, and she'd spent hours trying to sneak up on him from behind. He'd caught her every time. She shook her head at his questioning blue eyes and moved into the room, settling herself back down on to her seat of Leon's knee. The Blue Room was quiet, all for the soft breathing of her companions as they stared at the troubled young boy sitting on the bed and waited for him to speak. She knew she hadn't missed much.

"Riku," Aerith said gently, breaking the silence. And Yuffie felt a swell of warm pride as she realized the older woman had waited for her to return. "Its alright."

They watched as Riku swallowed heavily and played with his hands, but still didn't say anything. Aerith sighed and closed her eyes, drawing out from her infinite well of patience. Cloud could do no such thing.

"Kid," He said gruffly, in a very un-Cloud like voice. "What is it, huh? Are you afraid we're going to put him down or something?"

"No." Riku replied quietly, and then, after a moment, "I thought…I didn't think he was sick anymore."

'_Anymore?'_ Yuffie thought, and she could tell from glancing back at Leon that he was thinking around the same thing. _'This has happened before? Sora's sick?_'

"Well, it looks like you thought wrong." Yuffie said in her best efforts to be cheerful. She leaned towards him. "Riku, you have to tell us what's wrong with him! Sora's our friend too remember? We wanna help him!"

"I know that." Riku sighed, and rubbed his hands with his face. "But I can't tell you what's wrong with him because _I_ don't really know what's wrong with him. No one knew, it was just…"

"So these…these _attacks_." Leon looked at him seriously, his voice careful. "They've happened before?"

"Yes. But not since we were kids." Riku sighed again as they all shared a look, and hesitantly began to speak. "The door to our World was in an underground cavern off the coast of the Sea, on one of the islands where Sora and I used to play. Our parents had forbidden us from going down there, and the entrance was sealed off for almost six years. But once Sora and I reached a certain age…we wanted to know what was down there. It took us nearly a year, but we finally cleared the entrance…"

He looked up, and Aerith and Yuffie nodded encouragingly for him to continue.

"The day we had planned to go down and explore, a meteor shower hit the islands. Everyone was told not to leave their homes but Sora had a coconut tree right outside his window that he could use to sneak out when he wanted to. I told him to go by himself, and tell me all about it when he got back. He was scared because he didn't want to go alone, but I promised him he'd be okay."

He looked up again and smiled wryly. Aerith nodded slowly in understanding.

"He wasn't okay." she deduced quietly.

Riku shook his head. "The island was close to being destroyed by the time it was all over. They found Sora huddled underneath a broken down beach hut." His voice hoarsened, and he trailed off, speaking almost to himself. "He was only six years old…"

Suddenly, Yuffie understood Riku's reluctance to explain the story. She had no doubt he had probably been blaming himself. She opened her mouth the reassure him, and just as quickly closed it, knowing he'd probably heard it _wasn't_ his fault more times than she had fingers.

"After that," He continued. "The attacks started, but they only ever happened when he was away from home or anyone he loved was away from home. He would panic, struggle, sometimes hallucinate. He was so terrified of being alone, he _couldn't_ be left alone…" He trailed off, and then lifted his fingers into the air. "Then, when he was ten, we had another meteor shower, exactly like the last one. His parents were terrified. How would Sora react to having to experience the same trauma again? But then…" He flicked his fingers together. "Snap. They got less violent, and eventually disappeared. I stopped being careful, and eventually stopped thinking about them until…"

"Today." Yuffie finished for him, shocked. "But that doesn't even make sense, I mean…wouldn't have all…all _this_." She waved her arms around. "The darkness and the Keyblade and having to fight _me_ in a tournament. All that stress, wouldn't it have…"

"That's what I thought." He told her. "The first time I'd seen him since our World was destroyed, I was so scared…but he was… normal. And that's when I saw the Keyblade."

There was silence, and then Leon spoke. "So the Keyblade…"

"Is what was keeping him together, yeah." Riku frowned thoughtfully. "The second meteor shower was when our friend Kairi came to the Island. When this whole…" He paused for words. "…ordeal really started. And I think, maybe, that's when the Keyblade chose Sora, and not me instead. But _now_…" He sighed. " The Keyblade is losing its purpose… And I think he's slowly losing hope that he's ever going to see Kairi again and I…I haven't been spending much time with him lately. And that's…well, that's all he has that reminds him of home."

There was another silence, this one much longer, and finally Yuffie said, "So what does this mean?"

Riku remained silent, and then said quietly,

"I think it means we need to go home."

_AndI'dgiveupforevertotouchyou'causeIknowthatyoufeelmesomehowyou'retheclosesttoheaventhatI'lleverbeandIdon'twannagohomerightnowandallIcantasteisthismoment_

**The** silver haired boy watched, distraught, as ten minutes later they all filed out of the room. He'd listened patiently as each one of them had informed him it was impossible for him to go home, that even if Sora could open the barriers with the Keyblade, there would be no way for them to travel from World to World, and even if they could, there would be no way they'd be able to find _their_ World without running out of supplies. Yuffie, at least, had been a little sympathetic, and Aerith had even offered to look around in the Library for them. But Riku had been a hopeless enough child to know what the look in their eyes meant. Adults, unwilling to crush his spirit but seriously doubting him all the same, were people he'd grown up with.

"Well, _I_ don't think you're insane." Tynan said quietly, standing by the edge of the bed and watching as he pounded his head repeatedly into a pillow.

"Thanks." He muttered into the pillow, waving a hand unenthusiastically in her direction.

She smiled and walked around the bed, sitting down on the other side. "No, really. I think if you use your rapier wit and oozing charm on the barriers enough, they'll let you through _and_ tell you where your World is." She told him.

"Oh, humour? I get it, ha hah." He grumbled and flipped on to his back, glaring at her through frizzy and mussed bangs. "Nice, very nice. Now, go off and make fun of me with _them_." He shooed her. "Go on."

She sighed. "Riku…"

"Don't _Riku_ me." He murmured, burying his face back into the pillow. He listened to the clock tick and the sound of her shifting, and he was about to tell her to leave for real when he felt a warm pressure against his back. He lifted his head and stared, but she wasn't looking at him, concentrating completely on her hand stroking up and down his spine. She was leaning forward on one hand, eyebrows narrowed, frowning with intensity, as if touching someone this way was something she'd only ever seen someone _else_ do, and had never done it herself.

"What are you doing?" He murmured, his eyes sliding shut as her hand trailed up his back and brushed along his neck.

"Comforting you." She informed him, stroking the hairs at his neck. "Don't say anything."

Her tone was brisk, but the last words were almost pleading. He blinked at her for a few moments longer, unsure, and then finally lowered his head. She continued to rub his back and neck, and as time went by she became more confident, increasing the pressure and letting her hand linger in some places. Finally, she shifted so she was sitting cross-legged beside his stomach, and brought her other hand up into his hair.

His breathing hitched, and he was very, very caught between affection and shock. She was trying to comfort him…she was _touching_ him…touching him _willingly_, putting away all her inhibitions just for…for _him_…

She moved silently, listening to the tiny sounds he made and using them to judge where he felt best. There was some sort of power coming from his back into her fingers, letting her continue, and continue she did, the clock ticking by unnoticed. But then, there was a moment when her hands paused, and he groaned in protest, pressing his head into her hand as if to keep them glued together. She blinked.

"Is…is this okay?" She asked quietly, continuing to run her hand through his hair.

He sighed. "Yeah. This is okay. But don't…"

He tilted his face away as her nails scratched against his scalp, giving her more area to work. She flushed deeply, wondering how anyone could enjoy being simply touched this much. But he sounded happy and his muscles were deeply relaxed, as far as she could tell. And his skin was warm beneath the thin material of his shirt, and he felt…and she was feeling, so good that she figured not even a flaming ball of inferno could stop her now.

"Don't worry." She told him, finally pulling back. She kept an arm resting across his back, and peered into his hidden face. "Hey, you."

He tilted his head so his cheek pressed against the bed and looked at her.

"We'll think of something, okay? I mean…Sora's the Keyblade Master, and Aerith's really smart and Leon could maybe glare the town into helping out too, and Yuffie will whip us all into shape and you're _sorta_ good looking, so…"

"You're babbling." He murmured, his eyes warm, and she blushed.

"Sorry." She said hurriedly, and his smile widened.

"You called me good looking." He said, and she noticed suddenly that his voice sounded deeper, more pleasant.

"What? I did no-"

He tilted his head upwards and brushed his lips over her cheek, and Tynan made an odd little squeaking noise and scooted away from him. He smiled lazily at her and watched as she clasped her hand over her cheek, eyes slowly widening and cheeks reddening. He sat up and chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Sorry." He said, with the air of someone who isn't _that_ sorry. "You look really, really cute when you blush."

"Cute?" Tynan scurried off the bed, pulling the hood of her sweater over her head. He watched with that same lazy smile as she hurried from the room, head ducked low, and chuckled.

He decided then that he would have to find reasons to need comfort more often.

_andallIcanbreathisyournameandsoonerorlateritsoverIjustdon'twannamissyoutonightandIdon'twanttheworldtoseeme'causeIdon'tthinkthatthey'dunderstandwheneverything_

**Leon** knew what was coming. There were clear signs; the way she shifted in her seat, how she looked around the room and then glanced at him, the way she tapped her thumbs together. He sat across from her at the table, enjoying the silence their room rarely provided, elbow propped against the table and cheek against hand as he watched and waited for her to speak. He'd learned how to wait. Her tirades were completely unpreventable.

"There must be something." She burst out, leaning across the table towards him.

"There's nothing." He replied firmly, straightening. "If there was, we would have thought of it before."

"The Keyblade has to be able to do something!" She protested, pounding her fist into the table. "How did they all get here in the first place?"

"Sora doesn't know." Leon said, a tad impatiently. "Yuffie, we've talked about this before."

There was silence.

"There are other dock towns, like Traverse, out there, right? Other Worlds that would let them land and buy food and stuff?"

He sighed. "Yuffie…"

"And _Cid_ is a friggin' gummy _expert_. He could build one and then they could—"

"Yuffie, _enough_." He leaned across the table and touched her cheek. "...enough."

She stared at him and bit her lip. The patience in his voice and the gentle touch of his hand was enough of a sacrifice on his part to make her listen. He nodded slowly; repeating the very things he'd told Riku, the same things he'd just said to her, but all Yuffie could really hear was _cannot be done_ and _impossible_. Sora was sick. Sora was _really_ sick. And when had Leon and Aerith and Cloud begun to give up so easily?

"I'm still getting Cid to build a gummy ship." She murmured, once he'd finished and got up to start making dinner, leaving her alone at the table with her thoughts. "To keep him from getting fat if nothing else." She lifted a finger into the air to silence him when he turned to speak. "Shut it, Squall! What can it hurt?"

He closed his mouth and his eyes, lifting his shoulders as he turned back to the stove. "Nothing, I guess."

"Right. We agree. We agree I'm right about everything." She turned to face him with her eyebrows raised.

"Yes, yes, we agree." He muttered, waving a hand. She slumped in disappointment that he hadn't taken her bait. "And no, you can't help. Stay away from the stove and all the knives."

"Jerk." She muttered, and he smiled.

_madetobebrokenIjustwantyoutoknowwhoIamandyoucan'tfightthetearsthatain'tcomin'allthemomentthetruthinyourlieswheneverythingfeelslikethemoviesyeahyou'dbleed_

**"Add salt."** Cloud frowned at the recipe book in front of them. "Now why the hell would you add salt to sugar cookies?"

"Cloud." Aerith put one hand on her hip and glared from high up on the ladder, where she was searching for books in the taller shelves. "Keyblade. Barriers. Destiny Islands. We are _not_ looking for dessert recipes."

"It's an old recipe book." He showed her the book in his hands. For all that it was crusty, dusty and falling apart, it could very well have been a book on those serious topics. "It deceives and then hooks." He put it back in the pile of books he'd collected and picked up another one. "Aerith, I'm hungry and I'm tired. We've been here for nearly four hours."

"Just a little more." She said distractedly, frowning down at a book in her hands. "I think I'm almost in the right section. Look, this book is on Ansem before his experiments went wrong."

"Well…" He dropped his legs from the table and stood. "How about I get us some food and bring it back here?"

"Good idea." She nodded. Cloud sighed and shook his head, moving out from between the rows of ancient, dusty books. There was no helping her when she felt passionate about something, and he knew Aerith would probably set up camp there if she could. Her resolve made him feel a little guilty about his thoughts, and he didn't have the heart to tell her she probably wouldn't find anything. He knew she already knew that.

Still…After all Sora had done…

"Sir?"

Cloud blinked at the girl standing behind the counter and shook his head.

"Yeah, sorry." He contemplated the menu, and pulling out his wallet, ordered two number 3s.

Maybe they would find something.

_justtoknowyou'realiveandIdon'twanttheworldtoseeme'causeIdon'tthinkthatthey'dunderstandwheneverything'smadetobebrokenIjustwantyoutoknowwhoIamwhoIam._

**The** air was stiff and musty when Riku opened the door to his and Sora's room, and with a frown he crossed the carpeted floor to the window, pushing it open a little. Cool, fresh air wafted in and Riku smiled, enjoying the feel of it, until he heard Sora shift in bed behind him. He walked to the bed calmly, dropping himself in the chair beside it. Sora breathed deeply, stretching his arms above his head, and blue eyes fluttered open, zoning in on Riku immediately.

"Riku!" He pushed himself up. "Riku, I had—"

"It wasn't a dream." Riku replied quietly, leaning over and pushing down on Sora's shoulders until he was forced to lie back down.

"Oh." Sora said, and immediately his mouth opened and his glazed eyes cleared a little. "_Oh._"

They sat in silence for a long time, Riku watching as Sora shifted uncomfortably as hurtful memories long forgiven came floating back, hands gripping his blankets and sheets. Riku looked away and sighed deeply when blue eyes turned on him, sad and hurt and a little accusatory.

"Sorry." He murmured, and Sora looked away, not looking any more reassured. What else could Riku say? "Sora, I—"

Sora's hands shifted over the blankets and Riku practically jumped when he grabbed his wrist. He stared, and Sora smiled weakly. "It's okay."

He tugged on Riku's wrist and Riku obeyed, climbing over Sora and lying down at his side, shoulders touching, looking out the window together for a long time, Riku struggling with his broken promises, memories hurting him too, and Sora slowly regaining forgiveness and trust and happier memories until he was feeling good enough to nudge his best friend's shoulder playfully with his own. Riku nudged back, and before long they were pushing and shoving and snorting, and moving with the sort of synchronization only two people who are closer than friendship and love and good and evil, who are part of each other, can achieve.

When they stopped, Sora dropped his head to the pillow and Riku did too, and their hair touched, and he breathed hard. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Riku gasped for his own breath, stomach aching from their movement and laughter, but heart _not_ aching because through the movement and laughter, somehow, everything had been fixed.

"You think…" He turned to look at him. "You think we'll…get to go home?"

Riku looked away in thought, and then looked at the ceiling. Riku was habitually looking at nowhere for answers to his questions; the horizon and the sky and the floor and the ceiling, so Sora just looked at _him_ and waited, because no matter how hard he looked he'd never been able to see what Riku saw there.

"I think…" Riku turned to him and smiled. "I think we're gonna try."

"Ah…" Sora lifted his hand up so that it floated between and above them. "Promise?"

Riku stared at his hand, hearing the mischievousness in his voice and the meaning too, and then he grinned, lifting up his own hand and slapping Sora's, hard, so that the brunet protested, and he nodded.

"Promise."

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Hiyaaaa! Review. This is almost done guys…almost…done. Can I do it? We'll have to wait and see. Looooooove. Love love love and cookies and milk and um…pocky. (But what is pocky?) 


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